WHOLE NEW WORLD
by Erriel
Summary: Amid an epidemic of missing trainers, a girl from another world, a League fugitive, and a surly talking Pikachu form an odd alliance. But it'll take much more to save this twisted version of the Pokémon world.
1. RESTART

**0. RESTART**

* * *

Somewhere in the distance, wild Nincada were chirping a shrill midnight chorus. No more than a pair of yellow eyes suspended over a narrow branch, an elderly Hoot-Hoot stared expectantly into the looming darkness that engulfed the forest. With a cock of its head, the small bird flapped its wings and uttered a low, eerie call into the night. 

Cast into the murky shadows curled insidiously across the forest floor, the call echoed faintly back, only to be cut in half by a deafening crash, then followed by a barrage of angry shouts. Hooting indignantly, the Hoot-Hoot sprang into the air and sped away, becoming yet another nameless shadow in the black sky.

Back on the ground below, a small runner was tearing its way through the forest underbrush. Its breath came in ragged pants as it raced on, boots scattering a blanket of dry leaves and black dirt into the air.

Twigs and leaves grasped at the runner's hair and clothes, like so many twisting fingers reaching out to ensnare a struggling quarry. Pushing them aside with a gloved hand, the runner stumbled onward, clutching a small bundle to its side.

"We're almost there," the runner whispered soothingly to the bundle resting in the crook of its arm. "Just a little longer…"

The bundle stirred, revealing a sleeping Pikachu snuggled tightly in an old jacket vest. The Pokémon tossed and turned feverishly in its haunted dreams, moaning as its trainer stumbled over fallen branches and rocky ledges.

Now as the trees began to thin out around them, the Pikachu's trainer reached into a pocket. Sweaty fingers closed around their target, and with a flick of a wrist, a PokéBall was spinning through the air, bursting open in a crimson flash of light.

"There he is!" a gruff voice cried as a towering dragon-like Pokémon emerged, navy blue wings almost invisible against the dark sky. With an enormous roar, the Charizard shot a column of fire at the team of people and Pokémon emerging from between the trees. They had only an instant before the blindingly bright flame engulfed their entire line of sight.

Several cried out, but some of the nimbler ones managed to dodge the fiery attack. Behind them, a whole line of bushes sprang into crackling flame.

"He's getting away!" one uniformed man called out, spotting the trainer with the Pikachu hosting himself onto the Charizard's back. A team of Arcanine sprang forward, teeth bared, only to be swatted aside by the Charizard's powerful tail.

"This is your last chance, boy!" the man called out threateningly. "Now be a good little Pokémon trainer and come with us!"

As it looked down from atop the Charizard's long, scaly neck, the trainer's face was briefly illuminated in the flickering light of the fire below. Long matted hair stuck out in unruly directions from underneath a muddy cap. All of the trainer's apparel, in fact, was torn and dirty from days of wandering forests and traveling little-known paths.

The trainer was also no more than fifteen or sixteen years old.

"Scyther!" the man called, releasing a sleek-bodied Pokémon into the air. Wings just a gauzy blur against the sky, the Scyther clacked its claws together menacingly, before hurtling itself towards the Charizard and its young rider.

Bellowing mightily, the Charizard launched itself into the air, away from the snapping jaws of the attacking Arcanine. It let loose several fireballs, all of which missed the nimble Scyther completely.

Countering all of the Charizard's punches with an agile slash of its claws, the Scyther circled once, feinting expertly. Quicker than the eye could follow, it performed a vicious upper cut, causing the young trainer to cry out.

The bundle carrying the sleeping Pikachu was falling, plummeting towards the ground below. The Charizard turned and made a wild lunge, but it was already too late.

"No!" the child cried as the Scyther caught the Pikachu in its glinting claws and buzzed away into the night. "No, we have to go back!"

Remembering the smoke, bared teeth, and shouting men in uniforms, the Charizard shook its mighty head. It would not risk its trainer so rashly.

A strong gust of wind blew the trainer's cap high into the air, along with a sparkling cascade of hot tears. "No!" its owner cried into the night air, reaching a grasping hand into the darkness. "Please, _no_!"

* * *

Watching his Scyther touch agilely back to earth, the uniformed man grabbed the ragged bundle from his Pokémon's claws. He was a young man, not much older than the trainer, really, with dark hair and sharp eyes that swept analytically over the crumpled vest, then its sleeping occupant. 

Jumping down from atop the back of her Arcanine, a tall blue-haired woman strode up beside the Scyther's trainer, eyes flashing furiously. "Your Pokémon let him escape!" she growled, staring venomously at the teen, then at the Pikachu. "The League will not be pleased with you."

Her addressee pushed a wisp of hair under his headband and examined the bundle more carefully. Then, with a quick flick of his fingers, he removed a small wallet from the vest's pocket. "He can't get far without this," he said, tossing the wallet to the ground, where it gave a light clink of coins. Digging about again, he produced a bright red object from the other vest pocket and snapped it open with a single hand.

With a blink, the screen of the Pokédex lit up with a colorful photograph. A boy with bright blue eyes and unruly auburn hair smiled exuberantly up at him. At his side sat a bright-eyed Pikachu with a tuft of head fur as unruly as its trainer's hair.

"I belong to Hiroshi 'Richie' Richardson," the Pokédex began in a dull monotone. "Registered trainer number 20154. Richie has collected all eight badges of the Pokémon League and is approved to challenge the League Champion at this time…"

With a crunch of plastic, the Pokédex's voice was cut short. The dark-haired teen let the crushed red pieces fall from his fingers into the dirt. "The boy couldn't have gotten far," he said, looking up into the faces of his comrades. "Send out a flight squad to search the surrounding skies."

Nodding sharply, the blue-haired woman set about doing just that. "You may have a head upon your shoulders after all, young Sketchit," she remarked coolly, climbing onto the back of her Arcanine. "Professor Oak has taught you well."

"As you say, Officer," the youth replied, grinding the shattered pieces of Pokédex into the ground with the sole of his sneaker. "As you say."

* * *

_**Notes: **Ugh, it's another one of Erriel's old, embarrassing, but ultimately too long to delete fics. I feel obliged to warn you that this is a rather random amalgam of the anime, game, a bit of the manga, and my own twisted conceptions, mixed-and-matched for no reason other than I felt like it at the time. Like squishing together Richie's Japanese and English names? That makes zero sense now, but whatever. I'll do my best to put what got ganked from where at the end of each chapter, if I can remember._


	2. PLEDGE

**1. PLEDGE**

* * *

_"I will journey to gain the wisdom of Pokémon training. And I hereby declare to the Pokémon of the world, I will be a Pokémon master."_

* * *

The mosquitoes were always at their zenith in the early morning. Today, a great swarm of them had descended upon the dew-drenched ground, flitting between narrow spaces in the grass blades. Buzzing with excitement, they rapidly set onto their target, a sleeping girl sprawled in the middle of the forest. 

Rolling her dark, tousled head into the grass, the girl moaned softly and swatted groggily at her tiny attackers. Nearby, electronic music issued from beneath a mound of dead leaves.

Two round black eyes peeked furtively out from their post atop an overhanging branch. Their owner, a small yellow-furred creature, shook its lightning-shaped tail irritably as it gauged the distance from its perch to the ground below. Mumbling to itself, the Pokémon scrambled nimbly down the tree trunk and approached the sleeping girl on cautious paws.

Raising its button black nose into the incoming breeze, the Pokémon suddenly froze and sniffed deeply. Then, watching the girl from the corners of its black eyes, it ambled over and prodded gently at the pile of leaves nearby.

The girl stirred as the music grew louder. Still muttering to itself, the Pokémon continued to dig through the leaves, until it was able to grasp its chubby paws around a small Gameboy Color.

There was a crackle of dry leaves as the girl sat up, rubbing sleepily at her eyes. Yawning widely, she froze and bolted straight forward as she saw the Pokémon.

"My Gameboy!" the girl shrieked, making a wild lunge for her belonging. Snatching the Gameboy in its mouth, the Pokémon jumped backwards, letting the girl crash face-first into the dirt.

Spitting out a mouthful of dead leaves, the girl swiped at her eyes again, then shook her head is disbelief. Now that her brain had fully awakened along with her body, what she had just seen had finally registered. "No way!" she gaped, wide-eyed. "That thing's a Pikachu!"

The girl, Reena Carlson, had never seen a real Pokémon in all of her thirteen years. She had seen plenty of Pokémon as the fad, from the anime dub and games to the manga and promotional toys at Burger King. But even though Reena had been a full-fledged Pokémaniac who had breathed, slept, and dreamed Pokémon for a good three years of her life, she had never really believed in their existence.

Wished for it every living hour of her day, yes. But knew, of course, that there was no way it could actually happen.

Straining hard to recall what had gone on shortly before, Reena hugged her knees and watched the Pikachu curiously. She could remember playing her Gameboy, holding it right in her hands and staring intently at the little screen. Reena's father, a globetrotting business man, had picked up a strange new game cartilage by the name of Pokémon Prismlight only weeks before, and already Reena had reached the final levels of the game. There had been a tortuous maze at the end, and a trainer character with impossibly high-level Pokémon and an acute sense of strategy. Even though Reena had to save her game and restart a multitude of times, she had beaten Primslight at last.

Then, she now remembered, something unlike any ending credits she had ever seen before had flashed upon the Gameboy screen.

_Well done, Challenger. You have defeated the League Champion. Now, are you ready to try the real thing?_

Reena had stared incredulously at the screen, then broken into laughter. These screenwriters had a twisted sense of humor.

Almost instantly, a new message appeared on the screen, even though Reena had not touched a single button.

_Stop laughing, Reena Carlson. This is no joke. _

Eyes growing wide, Reena had a sudden urge to snap the Gameboy off and pull out the game cartilage. As if sensing her fear, the message disappeared and a new one took its place.

_Don't be frightened, Reena. We can't afford for you to be frightened. Press A to continue._

By this point, Reena's curiosity had overwhelmed her panic. With a quivering finger, she pressed the A button and waited.

_Good. Now read carefully, Reena. We are in need of your help. _

"What help?" she asked aloud. The screen did not choose to respond.

_If you choose to accept our offer, you will be in for the adventure of a lifetime, _the mysterious writer went on, filling the rest of the screen with its words. _If not, Pokémon Prismlight will have never existed as far as you as concerned. _

"What's that supposed to mean?" Reena was too excited to wait for an answer; instead, she tapped the A button several times in rapid succession. "Where are you planning to take me? What am I supposed to do? Hey, is this going to be some kind of lame mini-game or something?"

She could've sworn she heard the lingering echo of laughter.

_You cannot tell anybody about this message, Reena. You cannot tell them where you are going. Do you swear to abide by these orders?_

"This is a lot of hype for some mini-game," Reena mumbled deridingly. "Can't I at least tell Gabby that I got to the last level of the game?"

The screen flickered for a moment, as if in indecision. Then, at last-

_That is acceptable. Press A when you wish to continue._

Scrambling to her feet, Reena quickly turned on her computer and set up an email to her best friend, Gabrielle. Gabby had been so skeptical of Pokémon Prismlight's caliber, frequently denouncing it as a fake like the old Pokémon Diamond and Jade. Reena could just imagine the look on her friend's face once she found out the sheer genius of the game's ending. How the programmers had gotten the game to pick up her name, Reena would never be able to figure out.

Reena typed a bit of vague, enigmatic chatter before sending the message off. Get Gabby all anxious about it first, and the other girl would be sure to eat her words once Reena showed her the Prismlight ending. Reena was could barely sit still with anticipation, completely forgetting that her parents had banned her from Internet usage for the entire week, that she had almost had her Gameboy confiscated by an angry teacher the day before, even that she was supposed to be studying for the huge math test on Monday.

Slowly, almost reverently, she placed her finger over the A button and pressed.

There was another faint giggle, and then suddenly Reena's head was spinning. Everything was swirling around and around in breakneck circles, and as Reena's mind tried to grasp onto something, anything that was tangible in the slightest sense, a blinding explosion erupted before her eyes and her world had faded into shadow.

Now, sitting on the wet grass and gazing at the real live Pikachu pawing at her Gameboy nearby, Reena felt a sudden thrill as well as a chilling finger of fear creep up her spine. This was no lame mini-game. Unless she was hallucinating from the effects of all the white-out she'd been using on her English essay, this was cold, hard reality.

Ever so slowly, as if in a trance, Reena reached out a hand towards the Pikachu. The Pokémon let loose an angry string of Pika-Pika talk, eying her disdainfully. Then, clearing its throat, it spoke in clear, flawless English.

"Please keep your hands to yourself!" the Pikachu snapped irritably at Reena's dazed, uncomprehending face. "Can't you see I'm busy?" With an indignant sniff, the Pikachu turned back to Reena's Gameboy and, without the slightest bit of hesitation, pressed all the buttons at once.

"No!" Reena yelped automatically, grabbing the Gameboy from the Pikachu's paws. "That'll restart my game! Oh, and I didn't get a chance to save!"

Strangely enough, a complacent smile was twisting the Pikachu's small mouth.

Looking back at her Gameboy, Reena stared open-mouthed as the plastic began to shift and stretch. Buttons melted and new ones appeared in neat, orderly rows beneath her fingers. The yellow plastic darkened to a bright red, and the screen enlarged to nearly twice its original size. With a chirp, said screen illuminated with a picture of what eerily looked to be Reena herself, dressed in a red jacket, gold baseball cap, and wearing a bulky grey backpack she knew she'd never owned in her entire life.

"Is that supposed to be…me?" she asked confusedly, scrutinizing the photo subject's short, bristly hair and rather boyish countenance. "But those clothes look like..."

The Pikachu rolled its round black eyes and made a little sound of exasperation. "You don't have to be difficult," it informed her, darting behind a nearby bush. It emerged moments later dragging the same grey backpack Reena had seen in the photograph, and pried open the top flap with its teeth.

Reena gawked at the metal pair of scissors that the Pikachu produced from inside the backpack. "No!" she said firmly, backing away through the grass on her hands and knees. "No way!"

The Pikachu advanced, scissors in paws. "Yes way," it retorted, snapping the scissors loudly above Reena's head. "Look, bratling. We didn't go to all the trouble of obtaining you a trainer's ID and bringing you here in the first place to have you back out now. It's just hair, you know. What's the problem?"

"It's not _just _hair!" Reena whimpered, fingering her long, dark mane and sniffing indignantly. "I spent all of thirteen years growing this so-called hair. Why can't I keep it the way it is?"

Sighing in frustration, the Pikachu set down its scissors and took its place at Reena's side. Looking directly into the Pokémon's face for the first time, Reena barely managed to stifle a gasp.

Where the Pikachu's red cheek pouches should have been were two long scars on either sides of its face, ugly twin X's not quite hidden by the Pokémon's short face fur. And the actual fur surrounding the scars had faded to a dull, ashen color, like dim shadows underneath the Pikachu's scowling black eyes.

If the Pikachu noticed Reena's stare, it gave no indication of it. With its head upraised and back ramrod straight, it looked more like a miniature drill sergeant than the cute little furball Reena had always deemed her favorite Pokémon to be.

"I suppose this may be difficult for a child like yourself," the Pikachu said in a brusque voice, ears twitching in disdain. "But since you accepted the challenge that we lay before you, you are now bound to that challenge. From this point on, there is no turning back."

Reena was appalled. "You're saying I can't go home? Ever?" she cried, voice pitched several tones higher than necessary. "Listen, I never agreed to anything like that, okay? All I did was press one lousy button on my Gameboy…"

"It has already been done," the Pikachu said curtly, cutting Reena off impatiently. "There is no one here who can change the past, Reena Carlson. As we move forward, you must know two things. One, your success as a Pokémon battler in your own world means _nothing _in the real one."

Tail twitching, the Pikachu continued in an icy tone. "You, Reena Carlson, may have been partially chosen for your…obsession…with the Pokémon world," it informed her briskly. "But you will encounter great suffering if you do not realize how much harder the real thing is."

"What's the second thing?"

"You must swear, Reena Carlson, never to utter a single word about the means by which you arrived in our world. And you must promise to abandon all your memories of your old world, unless I deem otherwise, in order to move on in this one. Do you agree, Reena Carlson?"

Reena was distinctly disconcerted. "You're not going to wipe my brain like Mewtwo did in the first Pokémon movie, are you?" she asked tentatively.

The Pikachu's eyes flashed. "I have told you mention of your world is strictly forbidden!" it snapped irascibly. Reena stepped back a couple feet, afraid that the angry Pokémon might send a shower of sparks sizzling towards her at any moment.

The fur on the back of the Pikachu's neck fell back in place as the Pokémon regained its seat on the ground, small body heaving heavily.

"I didn't mean to…" Reena began meekly, but the Pikachu held up a paw.

"I have no time for excuses," it informed her coldly. "Can you be trusted to keep a secret or not, Reena Carlson?"

Reena folded her arms indignantly, facing the Pikachu's cool black stare brazenly. "I'll keep it," she affirmed.

"Swear to me you will."

"I swear it, okay!"

Lips curling into a wry smile, the Pikachu folded its chubby limbs and looked Reena squarely in the eye. "You may call me Chikai," it told her, black eyes glinting. "I will be your instructor from this time onward. Are you ready to become the greatest master of Pokémon, Reena Carlson?"

"Pokémon master? Me?" Reena repeated slowly. "I mean, I play the game and everything, but you brought me here to be a _real_ Pokémon trainer? Why?"

"Not just any Pokémon trainer," Chikai said matter-of-factly, skirting over Reena's question. "The best, Reena Carlson. We said we were in need of your help—only as the best can you provide it. And only as the best do you stand a chance of returning to your world."

"Slow down! How did I get here in the first place, then? How did you get into the game like that and…and bring me here? And what the heck am I supposed to do for you?"

Chikai's black eyes took on a steely glint, and Reena acutely realized that some questions in this world were not for the asking.

"Okay, fine! I'll wake up sooner or later, anyway." Still feeling slightly dazed, Reena brought a finger to her cheek and pinched it tightly. "Ow!" she yelped, bolting to her feet and rubbing at her face. "Well, if it isn't a dream, I suppose I'm just hallucinating," she concluded reluctantly. "Either that or…"

Reena gulped and lamely finished her sentence. "Or…this is real."

Chikai slapped a paw to its forehead and groaned. "Are you always so slow?" it demanded angrily. "At this rate, we'll never make it to the League!"

"The League?" Reena echoed.

"Yes, the League," Chikai replied irritably, tail twitching again. "If you wish to become the best of the best, the League Champion, you must first reach the League. And to reach the League, you must collect all eight of the Kanto Gym Badges. Clear enough?"

"I know that," Reena said indignantly. "What I don't get is why you have to cut my hair!"

Chikai sighed and picked up the scissors. "Your ID says you are a young boy," it explained in exasperation. "And it would be far too much trouble to obtain a different ID. Now hold still. I don't want to cut your ear off."

After a far-too-fast five minutes, Chikai lay down the scissors and surveyed its barbering job critically. Unaccustomed to the absence of her long hair, Reena shook her head from side to side, feeling dazed and lightheaded at the turn of events. She was hit moments later by a large grey backpack, causing her to topple over into the dirt.

"You'll have to change, of course," Chikai said, eyeing Reena's Nintendo T-shirt distastefully. "There isn't anybody who goes around dressed quite like that, you'll find."

Several minutes later, Reena reemerged into the forest clearing, wearing Chikai's carefully selected clothes. The heavy red jacket felt awkward around her shoulders, and the golden-black shorts she had been commanded to don left her calves vulnerable to the chilly wind that blasted through the leaves. Placing the last accessory, a bicolor baseball cap that matched her new shorts, atop her head, Reena looked about for Chikai, spotting the Pikachu on a nearby log.

"I know the character in...um...this isn't really what normal Pokémon trainers wear, is it?" she asked Chikai tentatively as she took a seat beside it. Looking up from the complex road maps it had been pouring over, the Pikachu gave Reena a condescending look before returning to its charts.

"Our eventual goal is to take you to the closest Gym in Cerulean City," it informed her finally, not taking its glittering black eyes away from the map's broad surface. "But, considering your current state, I doubt that will be possible in the near future." Gesturing to a small dot in the middle of the map, Chikai continued talking. "I suggest we stop at this small wilderness pharmacy," it told Reena briskly. "There, we will be able to stock up on supplies before heading towards Cerulean. And also…" It paused, scrutinizing Reena skeptically.

"What?" she demanded, putting her hands on her hips.

"I'm hoping you can catch Pokémon," Chikai replied sardonically, tail off on another twitching spasm. "There are several PokéBalls in your backpack, and I do expect you to use them wisely."

Grinning, Reena flashed Chikai an exuberant thumbs-up sign. "Don't worry!" she replied confidently. "I caught all 252 in my Crystal game. Oops!" She put a hand to her mouth, just a second too late. "Sorry," Reena mumbled between her fingers.

Chikai sighed heavily, slumping backwards into the grass. "Why did I ever let them talk me into doing this again?" it muttered darkly to itself. Taking Reena's Pokédex into its paws, the Pikachu lay the red contraption carefully onto a nearby mound of leaves, adding to that a golden-black PokéGear Reena had not seen it holding before. Murmuring irritably to itself, Chikai started punching buttons with its nimble paws, glancing up now and again to check the illuminated screens.

"You will be using a boy's name from now on," Chikai notified Reena.

Reena stuck the tip of her tongue into the side of her mouth in musing. "Well, I've always liked the name…er, Bob," she offered hesitantly.

Beeping electronically, the Pokédex began to talk in a crisp voice. "I belong to Satoshi Golden, registered trainer number 69375. Satoshi has collected no badges of the Pokémon League…"

"Did you even hear my suggestion?" Reena demanded as a cool Chikai handed her the Pokédex.

"Hm? No."

Snapping the Pokédex shut with an angry slam, Reena slung her backpack over her shoulder and waited impatiently for Chikai to gather up the maps and join her. "Well, I just wanna say I liked the name Bob a whole lot better than Satoshi," she pouted, mostly just to goad Chikai. "Besides, you said I wasn't supposed to make any references to the world I come from. Isn't Satoshi Ash Ketchum's Japanese name?"

Chikai whipped its last map into a tight roll, staring at Reena with such an enraged intensity that the human girl was forced to back away. "I'll have no more of that impudence from you," the Pikachu glared at her. "Do you know how easy it would be for me to abandon you, child? Abandon you in this forest to wander hungry and sleepless for days and nights upon end?"

The Pikachu's face twisted ferociously, causing the thick scars beneath its fur to bulge out acutely. "You're stuck with me now, no matter how you much you will likely come to despise it," it resumed in a low voice. "There is no way for you to turn off your game and restart now, is there? Consider it your first lesson, Satoshi. This is _no_ game. Any choices you make here are permanent."

Reena cowered as the Pikachu's hot tirade wound down, leaving the small Pokémon flushed and flinty-eyed. A moment later, Chikai was smoothing down its fur and taking several long leaps ahead of a still-dazed Reena. "Well?" it demanded impatiently, turning back to stare her in the eye. "What in the region can you possibly be waiting for? Hurry, Satoshi, or we will not make it to the pharmacy before dark."

Considerably subdued, Reena followed Chikai's weaving path through the thick trees and tangled underbrush. It was some time before she worked up the nerve to speak. "Chikai?" she said timidly. "I'm not trying to go back on my word again, but can you tell me…did you name me Satoshi because you thought I could be like Ash? Did Ash Ketchum become a Pokémon master in this world, Chikai?"

Fur bristling at Reena's words, Chikai eyed Reena for a long, cold time. "I did not choose the name," it said at last. "Satoshi Golden was simply the name of the trainer that this ID once belonged to."

"What…what happened to the real Satoshi?"

After a moment's pause, the Pikachu continued, still not looking back at Reena.

"The Ash Ketchum you speak of never existed in this world, Satoshi," it said in clipped, brusque tones, not bothering to answer her more recent question. "He was simply an icon in yours, an image of a trainer who never was." Eyes shining –were they wet? Reena wondered silently—Chikai raised its small nose heavenward as it padded on.

"But now, Satoshi Golden is not the title of some fabricated trainer," it said quietly, voice barely audible. "It means a beginning, a new beginning. And freedom."

Reena was not aware someone who seemed as abrasive as Chikai could sound so reverent. From the clear, glimmering look that had captured the Pikachu's eyes, the girl wondered what hidden power those few words must have for the stringent Pokémon.

But no matter how much she prodded, Chikai would say no more.

* * *

_"I will journey to gain the wisdom of Pokémon training. And I hereby declare to the Pokémon of the world, I will be a Pokémon master."_

_**-Ash Ketchum, Pokémon trainer**_

* * *

_**Notes: **(watches the believability quotient drop another twenty points) Yep, this plot has_ _been done a million times. I should really be more repentant…haha. As you might've already realized, Reena's alter ego is the boy protagonist from Pokémon G/S. I wish now that I'd made her less annoying and even the rival instead (I always did_ _like him better), but our favorite redhead shows up later, too. _

_Next time, we meet some actual canon characters (well, then again, __everybody_ _either_ _is_ _or is based off a canon character)...eh, yeah._


	3. FUGITIVE

**2. FUGITIVE**

* * *

_"Maybe it's risky, but it may be my only chance..."_

* * *

"One for the money, two for the show, three to get ready...PokéBall, go!"

With a wild toss of the hand, Reena sent her last shiny new PokéBall hurtling into the air, headed straight towards a Rattata who was busy stuffing its face with seeds.

"Drat!" Reena sighed exasperatedly as the Rattata scurried away into the underbrush. The PokéBall disappeared into a clump of thorny bushes even Reena was wary to go near.

"Don't tell me that was your last PokéBall," Chikai snapped in a surly voice as it ran up behind her.

"I'm sorry, Chikai!" Reena moaned, digging through her pockets helplessly. "But how else was I supposed to catch Pokémon? It's not like I can... "

The disgusted Pikachu held up a paw, which Reena was too distressed to pay any mind to.

"...catch any Pokémon otherwise! At least in the game, you get your own starter Pokémon. Chikai, you won't even help me catch any Pokémon at all! If you had just electrocuted that Rattata for me, then maybe that PokéBall wouldn't have been wasted!" Reena regretted her whiny words as soon as they burst out. Wincing, she braced herself for a well-deserved retort from Chikai.

The Pikachu, however, simply kept on walking. Swallowing quickly, Reena quickened her pace to match Chikai's brisk steps. "Chikai?" she tried tentatively. "If it doesn't bother you, may I ask exactly how I'm going to get any Pokémon before we reach Cerulean City?"

Chikai's voice came this time, cool and even. "You were responsible for those PokéBalls you wasted so recklessly, Satoshi," it informed her coldly. "Now that they're gone, you've complicated our tangled situation tenfold."

"I'm really sorry, Chikai. Honest, I am. It's just that..."

"I don't want to hear it!" the Pikachu interrupted severely, cutting off all of Reena's miserable protests. "Either you cope, or you don't. The weak will never win out here, Satoshi. You can either learn from your mistakes and become stronger, or curl up in a ball and die. How does that sound to you?"

Reena bowed her head, knowing she could expect no sympathy from her companion. The strange duo continued trudging through the forest in uncomfortable silence.

Looking curiously about, Reena was acutely aware of dozens of hidden eyes watching her every move. The wind howled its way through the forest canopy, rustling the treetops overhead in a cacophonous roar that drowned out even the steady padding of her heavy sneakers. As she walked on, fallen twigs and low branches tore at her exposed legs and face, leaving puffy red streaks to mark her skin. And when the light that filtered in through the treetops slowly dimmed, Reena tried her best to ignore the stinging blisters on the soles of her feet. She wanted badly to stop, to call out in protest to Chikai. But as it was, Reena held her rebellious tongue and limped onward, making sure never to fall more than a step behind her Pikachu companion.

Chikai thought nothing more of her than a deluded little brat, Reena knew all too well. One who had expected to spend her life playing simple games and reveling in pathetically trivial successes. If it _had_ been Chikai who had brought her here in the first place, for whatever purpose, surely it was regretting its choice by now. But Chikai could no more change the past than Reena herself. As the Pikachu had so caustically remarked earlier, all they had was the future to work with. Which gave the determined Reena a chance to prove Chikai wrong about her, however long it might take.

Slapping at feisty insects too small for the eye to follow, Reena was instantly relieved as both she and her Pikachu companion emerged into an open meadow. Glancing back at the forest from which they had come, Reena breathed a tired sigh before turning towards the meadow.

"We're out of the forest, Chikai!" she called, collapsing into the tall grass and putting her hands behind her head. "Let's stop for the night."

Taking a seat beside her, the Pikachu's eyes narrowed into a disapproving scowl. But evidently, Chikai was just as tired as she. After giving its fur a thorough licking (much, to Reena's amazement, like her little kitten back home), Chikai curled up on its side and fell promptly asleep. Reena noted the slow rise and fall of the Pikachu's small body before turning her gaze to the dark sky high above.

A cascade of stars glittered enchantingly in the night sky, bright and sparkling like little jewels capturing the rays of some unseen sun. The stars back home, Reena mused, were always dwarfed by the bright lights of her neighbor's house or the tall streetlamps that guarded the edges of the road. And it was so quiet here, almost eerily so without the familiar rumble of passing cars or late-night voices downstairs.

Closing her eyes, just for a moment, Reena felt a sudden sharp pang of homesickness strike her directly in the stomach. The wind whisked past her face, turning the tears that had formed there frigid and all the more painful. But brushing away the tears seemed too much of an effort for Reena. Instead, she kept her eyes closed and her face turned into the wind.

It was her own fault for being here, and even if she hadn't fully understood the consequences of her actions, nothing could change the fact that she would have to go along with them. In the end, Reena's body was simply too exhausted to stay awake any longer. Lulled by the rush of the wind and the chirping of crickets, the human girl fell asleep, face still raised towards the sky.

* * *

The next morning, any of the energy or the sternness that Chikai might have lost during the weary forest hike was back in full force. Reena, herself, was somewhat subdued, and set about obtaining breakfast as Chikai had commanded her to do.

There wasn't much to eat, save for several energy bars and packages of dried fruit in Reena's backpack. The girl opened some for herself, then handed the rest to her Pikachu companion. Chikai ate voraciously, finishing its meal before Reena even had time to take another bite.

"It should take us the rest of the morning to reach the pharmacy," Chikai reported after a thorough scanning of its maps. "Have you our money, Satoshi? It should be in the back compartment of your pack...no, further back. There, that one."

Removing a thick wallet, Reena gazed open-mouthed at the wide wad of bills that protruded from the sides of the bundle. "I hope you didn't rob a bank or anything!" she joked. Chikai frowned at her remark, tail twitching spastically.

"That money's not going to last forever, Satoshi," Chikai warned Reena pointedly. "Do not make the mistake you did before."

"I know, I know," Reena nodded, tucking the wallet back into her pack. "A good trainer learns from their mistakes to become stronger. Believe me, I've heard it all before." Reena stopped herself before she had a chance to blurt out summaries for more than a dozen Pokémon episodes.

As Chikai had predicted, the duo reached their destination after the sun had traversed to well to the middle of the sky. With the relentless heat beating down upon her head, Reena was eternally grateful as soon as she spotted the small, picturesque building in the distance.

"There it is!" she shouted to Chikai, before taking off on a sprint down the path. As Reena neared the pharmacy, she realized that the pharmacy had been constructed from logs and thatch. It looked almost as ancient as the forest itself, certainly not the kind of PokéMart Reena had been led to expect.

Then again, what did she know? Not waiting for Chikai to catch up behind her, she knocked quickly on the wooden door.

"May I help you?" a polite female voice asked. Reena looked up as a teenage girl, one with dark green hair done up into messy buns, opened the door in front of her. The girl carried some sort of bowl in one hand, and a pestle the other. Reena guessed she must be in the process of mixing some kind of Pokémon medicine.

"Parasect? Para?" a small voice chirped from Reena's feet. Looking down, Reena spotted a crab-like Pokémon hunched in the doorway of the cabin, round eyes peering fearfully up at her and mushroom quivering.

"Hey, you're Cassandra!" Reena cried to the green-haired girl before she had a chance to stop herself. But the girl was not the slightest bit perturbed at Reena's mention of the corresponding anime character's name.

"I guess the fame of my pharmacy has spread to many travelers," she smiled at Reena. "Come in." Whisking back to the counter at the far end of the room, Cassandra deposited her things on its wooden surface before turning back to Reena. "So, what's your name and how can I help you?"

"Oh, I'm Re..." A small cough from the doorway made Reena glance up in surprise. Chikai was standing there, nearly out of breath from running down the path. "I'm Satoshi, a Pokémon trainer," Reena corrected firmly, bending down to escort Chikai in. "And this is my instructor, Chikai."

Cassandra glanced briefly down at the Pikachu. "A Pokémon training a human?" she said incredulously. "You have quite a sense of humor, Satoshi."

"Oh no, I'm serious," Reena protested, but was cut short by Chikai's sharp nip. "Chikai, that hurt!" Reena yelped, clutching at her arm.

Something in the Pikachu's eyes was strange, almost unsettling. Turning back to Cassandra's suspicious stare, Reena forced a sheepish laugh.

"I see," Cassandra said with an easy smile. But her eyes were still hard. Reena tried not to fidget, turning her attention, instead, to the matter at hand.

"I need to buy some supplies," she informed Cassandra quickly. With a nod, the older girl showed Reena around the room, pointing out various displays of medicines, potions, and hand-crafted PokéBalls. Reena's head was spinning with the wide array of items, and Chikai was being no help whatsoever. The Pikachu trailed after Reena's sneakers, sullenly silent.

At last, Reena decided to buy several more PokéBalls as well as a choice selection of various medicines that she recalled from her experiences playing Pokémon on the Gameboy. Feeling responsible at last, Reena carted the items over to the counter and waited for Cassandra to ring up the sale. See what Chikai thought of that! Reena thought fiercely to herself. If it ever got over this strange, sudden silent treatment, that was.

Cassandra's voice broke through Reena's thoughts, naming an impossibly high number somewhere in the hundred thousands. Making a face, Reena dug through her new wallet, emerging with a handful of bills.

"I'm sorry, Satoshi, but you don't have nearly enough money for all of this," Cassandra said, shaking her head.

"Are you sure?" Reena prodded. "I have a lot of money there, you know."

Cassandra counted out the crisp new bills, laying them in a careful stack on the counter. "You have $300," she announced finally, sliding the money under Reena's nose.

Reena was amazed. She'd never had so much money in her life. Forget that crummy old bank account her mother had made her start -this was real cash!

"You do realize, Satoshi, that Potions alone cost $300 each?"

The words hit Reena like a rock-hard snowball in the forehead. She'd never thought much about the ridiculously high prices in the Pokémon game. $300 for a single Potion? The realization instantly dissolved whatever good feelings that were left in Reena's stomach, leaving only a queasy feeling of embarrassment and despair.

"I guess..." Reena found herself saying faintly. "I guess I'll just take a Potion, please."

As Cassandra performed the exchange, the door to the cabin swung open behind Reena and Chikai, letting in a cool gust of wind along with a boy about Reena's age. As the child stepped forward towards the counter, Reena caught a good look at his profile.

Slight and small, the boy appeared to be a bit shorter than Reena herself, with unruly brown hair that framed his face in long spikes. Unlike Reena, he wore a matching baggy green shirt and pants, along with black hand-gloves.

"Oh wow!" Reena hissed excitedly to Chikai. "Do _you_ know who that guy is?"

"I'd like to purchase some Revives," the boy said politely as he stepped up to the counter.

Cassandra shot him a tight-lipped smile. "Revives are $1200 each," she replied, holding out her hand for the money.

"I'm sorry. I don't have any money," the boy confessed, still speaking in the same courteous manner as before. "But I'd be willing to work for you in exchange for the medicine I need. One of my Pokémon fainted this morning -it was up all night flying, and I need to get it some medicine as soon as possible. "

Cassandra nodded sympathetically. "I understand," she said with a smile. "Here, why don't you take the Revive now and help your Pokémon? You can pay me back some other time." Gesturing to the back room of the pharmacy, Cassandra nodded at Reena, who was still standing curiously in the corner. "Satoshi, you know where the Revives are, don't you? Why don't you show this young gentleman where they are?"

Thanking her profusely, the boy accepted Cassandra's offer, turning to face Reena and Chikai with a smile. "So you're Satoshi?" he asked as she led them both into the back storage room. "And who's your friend?"

"My friend?" Reena looked down into Chikai's dark, scowling eyes. "Oh, you mean Chikai?"

The boy's smile widened as he knelt at the Pikachu's side. Reena gulped as he put a hand on Chikai's head and proceeded to give the Pikachu a good scratch behind the ears. Fortunately for him, Chikai didn't seem to mind.

"You wouldn't happen to have a Pikachu, too, would you?" Reena questioned, avoiding Chikai's warning glares.

Blinking his bright blue eyes, the boy eyed Reena in puzzlement and alarm. Too late, she wished she had kept her mouth shut.

The creak of an opening door sounded in the front of the building, followed by the clunking of heavy rubber boots. Instinctively, the boy beside Reena fell back into the shadows and flattened himself against the wall.

The clunking stopped shortly, and the voice of a grown man rang out commandingly. "The League is searching for the whereabouts of one fugitive Hiroshi Richardson," the voice said briskly. "Thirteen year old male, brown hair, blue eyes, has a Butterfree and a Charizard with him. He was last spotted somewhere in this area. Have you seen the fugitive?"

Somewhere in the shadows, Reena thought she could hear quickened pounding of a heart.

"He was just here a minute ago," Cassandra's voice came, sounding confused. "But what does the League want with the boy? He seemed so...kind. Not a troublemaker."

"Ma'am, the League has reason to believe the _fugitive _is a threat," the man replied sternly. "He has resisted capture a number of time, and will be dealt with accordingly. Now, tell me where the boy was headed..."

Cassandra's voice was indignant. "I'll do no such thing! Why, he's only a boy! A helpless child of a trainer!"

"The League does not distinguish between children and adults..."

"Will the League show no mercy!" Cassandra cried. This outburst was followed immediately by a scream, then a wild scrambling. Dashing to the front of the room, Reena caught a glimpse of Cassandra's Parasect, claws locked tightly onto the arm of a uniformed man. With a wild fling, the man threw the Pokémon from his arm, slamming it against a shelf of medicines.

Crying out in anguish and horror, Cassandra ran to her fallen Pokémon and tried to revive it with a bottle of medicine. The Parasect did not get up.

There was a flash of green at the edge of Reena's eye. The fugitive trainer was using Parasect as a diversion and making a break for freedom.

"Stop right there!" the man bellowed, pulling a PokéBall from his belt.

But the fugitive was faster. Opening his tight, gloved fist, Reena had time enough to see the shiny red PokéBall he was holding, emblazoned with a yellow star. Instantly afterwards, a firm paw came down on her knee, shoving her onto her stomach.

"Get down!" came Chikai's urgent hiss.

A thick cloud of sparkling powder was filling the air above them. Squeezing her eyes shut, Reena detected several heavy thuds on the wooden floor of the pharmacy building. Seconds later, a blinding burst of light pierced through her closed eyelids...

Inching across the floor and tumbling out the front door of the building, Reena raised her head in time to see the fugitive's retreating figure. The boy's breath came in sharp, strained pants and his baggy green pants flapped around his legs as he ran. Right behind him, delicately veined wings fluttering to an ivory blur in the breeze, was a large Butterfree.

"Hey!" Reena called, stumbling to her feet. "Stop!"

The boy didn't even pause.

Light-footed and nimble-bodied, Chikai scurried forward. With a wild lunge, the small Pikachu threw itself into the air. Grabbing hold of an overhanging tree branch, Chikai sprang into the sky once more, this time launched directly towards the Butterfree. Growling ferociously, the Pikachu knocked the flying Pokémon into the dirt, pinning it to the ground with its body.

"Happy!" the boy cried, swerving about and rushing to his Butterfree.

"Chikai!" Reena called out, stumbling over the grass and sprawling into a heap several feet away. Chikai and the Butterfree were engaged in a vicious wrestling match. Thrashing about angrily, the Butterfree managed to squirm out from under the Pikachu, clobbering it with one foot as it did. Letting out a roar that was more anger than pain, Chikai sank its teeth savagely into the Butterfree's thin wing.

"Chikai, Chikai!" Reena shouted, beating at the Pikachu with her hands. "Please, stop it! Let it go, Chikai! Let go!"

Eyes flashing, the Pikachu spat out the Butterfree's mangled wing, choking slightly on the irritating powder that now coated its tongue. Reena sank to her knees, mind swirling in a mixture of relief and revulsion at the sight she had just witnessed. "How could you do something like that, Chikai?" she whispered, barely able to keep her voice from shaking.

Lip curled in disgust, Chikai wiped a paw over its mouth, spitting at the ground by the Butterfree's body.

Reena clenched a fist at the Pikachu, not bothering to tone down the volume of her hysterical voice. "Chikai! Tell me, why did you do that to the poor Butterfree?!"

"It's okay," the boy trainer's voice came from behind Reena's back. Cradling the Butterfree in his arms, he stood to face Reena and Chikai. "Your Pikachu was just obeying your orders," the boy said, voice calm and even. "You told me to stop, and I didn't, so Chikai here had no choice but to attack my Butterfree. Besides, Happy's seen worse in battles all the time. Haven't you, Happy?"

"Free, 'ee!" the Butterfree agreed readily, flailing its uninjured wing.

Reena gulped convulsively. If all Pokémon battles were as brutal as this, she didn't know how she'd ever get used to them.

"Now if you'll excuse us," the boy said, turning away and recalling his Pokémon. "Happy's Sleep Powder will only keep them out for a bit, and reinforcements are sure to be on their way. I wouldn't hang around here if I were you either, Satoshi. The League can be pretty tough on new trainers." With a blink of his blue eyes and a bow of his head, he was slipping through a gap in a nearby grove of trees.

"Wait!" Reena called after him. With Chikai close on her heels, she dashed after the fugitive trainer. "How...how did you know I was a new trainer?" she asked the boy quickly, gasping for breath as she slowed to a walk. "Is it...that obvious?"

The boy managed a half-smile, looking over his shoulder as Chikai bounded up behind them. "Lucky guess," he shrugged, slowing his stride so Chikai had a chance to regain its breath. "If you were an experienced trainer, Satoshi, I'd think you wouldn't want to hang around me."

"Why's that?"

The boy's smile seemed to waver for an instant. "Everyone around me," he started in a quiet voice, "is in the way of the League." Quickening his pace, he shot Reena a smile. "You've got to be scared now, Satoshi," he stated lightly. "But you're still following me. Why?"

Reena froze as the boy's bright blue eyes peered inquisitively into her face. For a moment, both stood immobilized, suspended in silence. Now, Reena looked the boy over once more. From his baggy all-green attire and black hand-gloves, to his tousled brown hair and sincere smile, everything about the trainer adhered firmly with something Reena had seen long ago in her own world. She could still recall watching Ash's League Championships for the first time, distressed and disoriented after missing the first ten minutes of a particular episode. But then, she remembered, had come a new trainer, one who had befriended, then defeated, Ash in a crucial Pokémon battle.

Now she was seeing that trainer again.

"You're Richie!" she burst out, forgetting all of Chikai's stern warnings and scowling glares. "From the Pokémon League! And I thought you were just..."

A sharp nip in the ankle from Chikai made Reena shut her mouth quickly.

The blue-eyed trainer regarded her confusedly. "My name's Richie," he told her finally, shaking off his perplexity and continuing to walk at a brisk pace. "But I'm no longer a member of the Pokémon League."

Reena could feel herself flushing in abashment as she ran to catch up with the other trainer. "Aren't all Pokémon trainers members of the Pokémon League?" she asked him, thoroughly baffled. "No, wait. What about the Orange League? And the Johto League? Oh, I don't know! Something like that?" She looked to Chikai for help, but the Pikachu was still ignoring her.

"The Pokémon League is the head authority of all the subordinate Leagues you mentioned," Richie corrected her. If he was more than mildly surprised at Reena's lack of knowledge, he hid it well. "Indigo, Orange, Johto, they all answer to the Pokémon League. And all registered Pokémon trainers are, yes, technically members of the Pokémon League. The only way to advance in rank is by winning against other, more powerful members. Gym Leaders are the first level beyond typical trainers, next comes the Elite Four. The head of the Elite Four is the Champion, the most powerful trainer in the world. It is the Champion that controls the entire conglomeration of Leagues, Pokémon, and trainers. And it's the Champion every aspiring trainer must collect League badges and defeat the Elite Four in order to challenge."

Reena swallowed, still slightly dazed by the enormity of the information Richie had just handed her. Did Chikai _sincerely_ believe that the woefully inexperienced Reena was a trainer who could defeat the best the Pokémon world had to offer, and become the leader of it all?

"I'll need to get more Pokémon, that's for sure," she found herself mumbling. "Hear that, Chikai? Man, you never said a word about any of that! How was I supposed to know what I was going up against, Chikai? And why won't you talk to me anymore?"

The Pikachu stared sullenly back at her as it trotted along, but did not open its mouth.

Reena's head jerked around at the sound of Richie's light laughter. "Chikai can't talk, Satoshi," he said simply, pushing a willowy spray of twigs from the space before his head. "No Pokémon has ever been able to talk."

"Oh yeah?" Reena challenged, ducking as the twigs snapped back in place. "What about Meowth from Team Rocket? Or Mewtwo or..." She broke off, noting Richie's blank stares.

The boy looked at her shocked face a moment longer before shrugging his shoulders and turning away. "Maybe there _have_ been Pokémon who could talk," he said in a soft voice. "But the League would have taken care of them right away. A Pokémon talking Human is prohibited by the Champion's laws."

"You're kidding!" Reena cried, completely taken-aback. "But...how bad can talking be?"

Richie examined the dirt below the soles of his boots, avoiding Reena's demanding stares. "A Pokémon talking Human in a Class Three felony," he recited wearily, pushing aside a clump of ferns with a gloved hand. "All Class Three felonies are punishable by death, Satoshi. And they can be pretty much anything. Disobeying a trainer's commands repeatedly, refusing to evolve against a trainer's wishes, and so on."

"I don't see why!" Reena declared boldly. "Those are all stupid rules! When I become Champion, I'll change every single one of them!"

Richie's eyes were dark with worry, but sparkled as he heard Reena's statement. "You're that determined to defeat the Champion?" he questioned, pausing a moment and letting his hand rest on a rugged tree trunk.

"_You'd_ better believe it!" Reena retorted, blind to a rocky ledge embedded in the soil before her. She would have tripped right over it if Richie hadn't grabbed her arm and steered her gently to the side.

"I have a score to settle with the League myself," Richie informed Reena as he helped her over the ledge. "One of my Pokémon was taken from me by League officials several days ago. Since I'm no longer a registered trainer, the only way I can gain access to the League is by traveling as a coach of another trainer." A frown clouded his face again as he began his own descent. "But I'd putting you in danger if I tried," he said hastily.

"Unless," a clipped voice whispered from Reena's feet. "Unless you claim trainer's immunity."

"Did you say something, Satoshi?" Richie asked as he leapt to the ground with a thud, head swerving about in search for the strange speaker. On the ground below, Chikai ducked behind Reena's legs.

"That's right," Reena said quickly. "Trainer's immunity." A small, glossy book was pressed into the palm of her hand by a furry paw; without hesitation, Reena began sifting through the pages. "The official League handbook says so right here!" she exclaimed, brandishing it in Richie's face. "Any registered trainer, or a coach of any such trainer, is immune to seizure and arrest, if engaged in a Pokémon journey about the eight Cities of Asylum!"

Beside her, Chikai was holding its breath.

"The eight Cities of Asylum?" Reena repeated pensively to herself. Then, more loudly-"You know what those are, don't you, Richie?"

The boy nodded. "The Cities of Asylum, also known as the Kanto Gym Cities," he explained readily. "Pewter, Saffron, Celadon, Viridian, Vermillion, Cerulean..."

Reena pounced upon this last word with a cry of triumph. "Cerulean City!" she exclaimed. "That's where me and Chikai are headed!"

"Chikai and I," she could have sworn she heard the Pikachu mutter underneath its breath.

Richie was still a moment, head bowed as he considered Reena's words. "Trainer's immunity is a law almost as old as the League itself," he said at last, forehead creasing as he tried to recall what he knew. "The League itself developed it centuries ago. Back in those days, you've got to understand, not just anybody could get a Pokémon license. The League only saved that honor for their top minions, and it was those trainers that they meant to shield from the effects of the law." The smile he forced onto his face twisted his lips in a sickly manner. "Unfortunately, I'm not exactly..."

"But I'm a trainer! And if you were my coach, trainer's immunity would still stand, wouldn't it?" Reena protested. "The League wouldn't go against it, right?"

Slowly, Richie shook his head. "Maybe not when an infraction of their own pride would be so obvious. But, just about now, I don't feel like putting anything past them..."

"Come with us, Richie," Reena interrupted, staring the boy pleadingly in the eyes. "You need my help to rescue your Pokémon, and I need yours to defeat the Champion. Neither of us is gonna last very long otherwise." She winced at the last statement, but did not break eye contact. If she could not become the Champion herself, Reena knew, she would never be able to see her world again. "So is it a deal?" she prodded, extending her hand out towards Richie.

The boy was silent, and from where she stood, Reena found it impossible to read his face.

Suddenly, a gloved hand slapped into her own, startling Reena badly. She jumped before realizing it was Richie, face grim and jaw set.

The two of them shook hands, cementing Reena's proposal.

"I'm warning you, Satoshi," Richie said as the two children and Chikai set off once more through the dense forest. "Having me as your coach isn't gonna put you in a favorable light with the League."

"So?" Reena demanded, crossing her arms. "This League of yours can go and boil its stupid head for all I care!" Stopping to catch her breath, Reena managed a shaky grin. Richie was shaking his head.

"Talk like that's considered treason, Satoshi," he corrected gently. "Better to keep your mouth shut and let your Pokémon battling do the talking."

"Anything you say, Coach!" Reena saluted. She liked the sound of that, _Coach_. Not like the sadistic gym coach who enjoyed making everybody run laps in the rain, of course. A coach as in a new and badly-needed ally. A friend.

Reena needed all the friends she could find, that much was clear. Poor Chikai; she wasn't sure how much longer the normally admonishing Pikachu could keep quiet. More often than not, Chikai looked like it surely wished to give both children, especially Reena, a thorough chewing-out. But the Pikachu couldn't let on that it could talk, not with Richie around.

Reena smiled to herself for the next half-an-hour, despite frequent scraps and mosquito bites, reveling in this realization alone.

* * *

_"Maybe it's risky, but it may be my only chance..."_

_**-Richie, League Challenger**_

* * *

_**Notes: **Cassandra is the girl who runs the medicine shop with her grandmother in the anime episode _"The Problem with Paras." _Richie...yeah, I'm sure most people know him. He's the "Ash clone" kid that beat Ash at the Pokémon League. I'm not sure how he's portrayed in later episodes, but he comes off as a bit...hm...Gary Stuish? I'm afraid this fic catered to that view. He needs more love, though._


	4. HUNTER

**3. HUNTER**

* * *

_"Two basic tips for Pokémon Watchers: stay downwind of the Pokémon you're watching, so it can't smell you and make your breathing match the Pokémon's as you get close, so it can't hear you."_

* * *

Professor Samuel Oak paced back and forth across the narrow corridor, hands folded tightly behind his impeccably white lab coat. Years of dedication to the Pokémon League had served Oak well. In addition to being one of the most respected individuals in the region of Kanto, the Professor was privy to the innermost workings of the League itself. No one would have guessed that behind his slick gray head and emotionless eyes, Oak was more nervous than the day he had sent out his first trainer.

The door before him slid open with a groan, revealing a set of marble stairs covered by long length of red carpet. Unclasping his hands, Oak started making his way painstakingly over each lofty step. His ailing back was killing him again, but he was in no position to complain.

Rumbling bellows and muffled roars echoed about the other end of the room, and as Oak neared the top, the reason for them became staggeringly apparent. A single Dragonite stood before each of the twin pillars that rose above the uppermost step. Wings beating menacingly across their enormous backs, the two Dragonite eyed the approaching human with the utmost disdain.

A sharp whistle pierced the air behind them; grumbling reluctantly, both Pokémon guards lumbered out of the Professor's way. Oak was uncomfortably aware of their beady eyes watching as he surmounted the final step and pushed back the sliding partition that separated this room from the next.

A lofty throne was built into the wall behind the pillars. It was a fine thing, carved exquisitely from Donphan tusk ivory and inlaid with slabs of precious amberite. While lithe Dratini had been engraved twining themselves up the legs of the throne, a poised Dragonair adorned the polished head. And it was directly beneath this head that the renowned dragon-master of the Elite Four was seated, eyes glinting in amusement at Oak's pained face.

"Arrived at last, Professor?" Lance drawled, snapping his fingers. Instantly, a small team of Dratini entered the room, rolling a mahogany wood table across the carpet and up the stairs. Panting wearily, they laid the table before Lance and Professor Oak. More Dratini arrived immediately after them, placing glasses and bottles of wine atop the large table.

Dismissing the Dratini with another snap, Lance leaned forward to pour both men a drink. "The reports concerning the capture of Richardson are not in your favor, Professor," he said, settling back into his tall throne. "One trainer..."-he paused to take a sip- "...should not be a problem for the League. My superior doesn't like to be kept waiting, you know."

Oak's anxiety shifted into a flaring fury. Dragon-master Lance was no more than an insolent redheaded brat, one who enjoyed using his authority to lord over his elders. Oak longed to slap that smug smirk right off the boy's face.

_This, _he thought irately, seething at Lance. _This is what has become of our glorious system. It's unnatural, detrimental, for these irreverent Pokémon trainers, mere children, to be given power such as this. _But his outburst only last a moment before Oak shook his head to rid it of such treasonous thoughts. The Pokémon League system had ruled Kanto and all the surrounding regions successfully for countless decades. There was no good reason to oppose it, even now.

But his hands were trembling, and the smirk on Lance's haughty face only widened to see the old man quiver before him. Slowly, carefully, Oak picked up his glass and forced himself to regain composure.

And he might have succeeded, if it hadn't been for the slide of the partition behind him and the ringing voice that echoed off the high domed ceiling. "Professor?"

The glass slipped from Oak's hand and struck the edge of the table, shattering into a dozen pieces. Instantly, a squadron of Dratini converged upon the broken glass, sweeping fragments into neat piles with their small tails. Others rushed in with cloths and cleaning soaps, eager to mop up the stain before it spread through the thick carpet.

The sturdy, dark-haired youth that had so startled the Professor moments before knelt contritely before both men. His hand slid across the carpet, cutting itself on several bits of sharp glass. "Forgive me," he said softly, bowing his head.

Startled as he was, Lance leaned forward sedately and looked the young man in the face. "And who might you be?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at the intruder. "And how did you manage to get past my Dragonite?"

The youth opened his hand to reveal several lumps of a purplish sugary substance. "Dragon gum," he answered, choosing to reply to the latter of the Dragon-master's questions first. "Most Dragon types can't get enough of it. I'm Tracey Sketchit, one of Professor Oak's students."

A year or two before, Oak knew Tracey would have given a full explanation on dragon gum, from its origin and commercial value to its many varied properties. But the eager young Watcher had found little use for that kind of enthusiasm in the League when he had first started out. Even now, it still unnerved Oak to compare the past Tracey, never short of enthusiasm and interest, to the current one. It wasn't a bad change, necessarily, and certainly not something Oak should spend his time reflecting upon in moments like these.

As it was, the only thing that concerned Oak at the moment was Lance's suspicious expression. "Tracey, a student?" the Professor laughed nervously. "No, the boy's just my assistant, nothing more."

Tracey's dark eyes flashed. "I am a student of Professor Oak," he insisted. "I've been a student of Professor Oak's for all of the last two years!"

"Please excuse us a moment, Dragon-master," Oak said hurriedly, taking Tracey by the arm and leading him from the room. "What in the Champion's name do you think you're doing here?!" he hissed once they were out of Lance's hearing range. "The Dragon-master's presence is reserved to only the most powerful trainers, or important officials such as myself."

"Why did you contradict me when I said I was your student, Professor?" Tracey demanded, voice louder and angrier than Oak had heard in a long time. "You've taught no Pallet trainer the things you've taught me. Which one of them knows the properties of a Shuckle shell, or can calculate the amount of electricity left in a Pikachu just by the color of its cheeks? None of your so-called students knows a whit about the things you've spent your entire life researching, Professor! None of them! "

"That's enough!" Oak snapped at his young assistant. "You're a Pokémon Watcher, Tracey, nothing more after putting yourself in disgrace. All that time, all the energy I spent vouching for you, gone just like that!"

"I let the fugitive escape, Professor," Tracey admitted stonily. "And the League took away the uniform that you had convinced them to give me. But that doesn't change the fact that I am still your student."

"Nothing you know or do will ever rival that of a Pokémon trainer!" Oak countered, face reddening. "It is the trainers that I must devote my time and energy towards, Sketchit, for only they have any chance of amounting to anything within the League system! Now, if you had decided to become a trainer instead of a Pokémon Watcher, or chose to educate young trainers as I have, the League would be more inclined to overlook your mistakes."

"A trainer?" Tracey spat hatefully, fists clenching at his sides. "What does a trainer know of Pokémon? They focus only on trivial battles, learning nothing of the inner workings of the Pokémon world!"

"But!" Oak roared, towering over his young assistant. "They are the ones who rule us all! You must learn your place within this world, Tracey. Within the League, you are nothing!"

Surprised at his own outburst, Oak forced himself to regain his composure and clasped his shaking hands behind his back. "Now, why are you here in the first place?" he asked Tracey in a much calmer voice. "You were foolish in taking such a risk, Tracey; the Dragon-master has no sympathy for trespassers."

"It's about the fugitive, Richardson," the youth replied. "He and another boy were spotted at an isolated Pokémon pharmacy. According to recent interrogations, the second boy, Satoshi, is a new trainer. No experience whatsoever. I think it's likely for Richardson to join Satoshi as a coach and head for the nearest City of Asylum. Where trainer's immunity will protect them both from the League."

"Clever deduction, Tracey Sketchit," Lance's cool voice came from behind the open partition. "Clever, indeed. I remember you now, Tracey. Weren't you the one who brought me the fugitive's Pikachu and permitted its trainer to escape? And were stripped of your League uniform for it?"

Tracey pulled out an old napkin and pencil stub, and set about sketching away diligently. He did not look up as Oak prodded him angrily in the arm.

Letting his black cape swirl about his feet as he walked forward, Lance folded his arms and cocked his head in musing. "Rather abnormal, if I do say so myself. Most trainers, especially the newer ones, know full well that the benefits of turning in a fugitive are far greater than shielding one from the League. Poor boy." He chucked lightly, an action that did not reflect the hard glint in his eyes.

_Poor boy, _Oak silently agreed, knowing painfully well the steely gears whirring into place behind the Dragon-master's hard eyes.

"The League may not be able to touch either boy under trainer's immunity," the Dragon-master began at last, "but the same does not hold true for another trainer."

"Another trainer?" Oak echoed.

"Someone to provide a bit of an obstacle for this Satoshi," Lance explained in his drawling voice. "Give the boy a chance to...rethink his rather hasty decision. And I think I know just the trainer."

Reaching under his voluminous cape, Lance produced a leather wallet and flipped it open with a flick of his wrist. On the first inside pocket was a small color photograph of a scowling boy dressed in a dark jacket and jeans. Longish red hair fell to the boy's shoulders in a tangled mess, hair that looked exactly the same color as Lance's.

"My younger brother, Zed," Lance proclaimed, snapping the wallet shut again. "Zed was thrown in some juvenile rehabilitation center for Pokémon thievery, or something of the sort, but that doesn't mean I can't pull a few strings to get him out. I think he'll make the perfect impediment for Richie and his little friend."

"He's trustworthy, then?" Oak ventured hastily. "But a Pokémon thief..."

Lance laughed off the Professor's weak protests easily. "Zed was always a troubled child," the Dragon-master said. "Ever since our parents were killed. But he'll do anything for his big brother, Zed will. And with all of the League looming over him, he'll be sure not to fail."

Oak nodded in quick agreement, never noticing for one moment that Tracey was no longer beside him, and a crumpled napkin bearing a caricature of Lance was lying on the floor at his feet. Or, in fact, that the youth had vanished completely from the room.

* * *

Flying back to the Pallet Laboratory on his trusty Scyther, Tracey Sketchit contemplated the Dragon-master's plan in silent disdain. _Sending in some delinquent trainer to deal with the fugitive, _he thought contemptuously. _Some plan. _

Jumping off his Scyther and landing squarely on the doorstep of the Laboratory, Tracey wrenched open the door and stormed up to the small room in the attic that he called his own. There, he swiftly crammed all the supplies he would need into a backpack, then slung it over his back and headed out the door.

_I'll show all of them, _he vowed silently. _Especially you, Professor. No delinquent trainer is going to capture the fugitive, not if I can help it. _

Mere Pokémon Watchers, after all, were not bound by the rules of the League as were League officials. And Tracey was prepared to use any means possible to snag his target.

* * *

"What's that?"

Legs crossed and hands on her knees, Reena leaned forward over the campfire to check the misshapen lump of an object in Richie's hands. Night had spread its dark veil over the field long ago, and the flames cast flickering shadows onto the faces of both trainers.

Looking up from the root he was peeling with a pocketknife, Richie gathered up another handful of the herbs he'd collected and threw the lot into a pot of boiling water. Staring down into the pot's steamy contents, Reena's face brightened exuberantly. "Is that our dinner?" she inquired hopefully.

A howling wind fanned the flames of campfire into a bright flare, forcing Reena to pull her head back. A few paces from her side, she could have sworn she heard Chikai cluck its tongue in exasperation.

Ladling the contents of the pot into an empty bowl, Richie dipped a finger into the steaming liquid and licked it thoughtfully.

"Is it good?" Reena prodded impatiently.

Richie screwed up his face. "Afraid not," he replied, swallowing again and again as if to rid his mouth of the taste. "But it'll do." Unbuckling a star-emblazed PokéBall from his belt, the boy laid it upon the ground, tapping the silver release button once. In a flash of red, a large dragon-like Pokémon was sprawled upon the grass, scaly skin gleaming a pale orange in the light of the campfire. Reena's eyes grew wide as she glimpsed an orangey-red flame flickering weakly at the very tip of the creature's long, lithe tail.

Without hesitation, Richie walked the scaly length of the Charizard's body, carefully stepping over its furled navy wings, and pried open the Pokémon's mouth with one gloved hand. The Charizard's bellowing groan echoed throughout the clearing, scattering a flock of dark birds in the distance.

"It's okay, Zippo," Richie whispered, rubbing the Charizard's head comfortingly. Taking the bowl, he slowly tipped the bitter brew into the Pokémon's mouth. The Charizard gagged, spluttering the concoction right back into Richie's face.

Wincing as the hot liquid dribbled down his cheek, Richie tried again, this time stroking the Charizard's long throat in a downward direction. Swallowing convulsively, his Pokémon opened one pale blue eye. Watching Richie through its slit gaze, the Charizard mutely accepted the rest of the reviving broth before stretching its cramped wings and falling fast asleep.

Reena was gazing at the boy in wide-eyed, open-jawed amazement as he placed a hand on the Charizard's flank and proceeded to wipe his sopping face with a baggy sleeve. "I guess that wasn't dinner then, huh?" she managed at last. "What are _we _gonna eat?"

Richie smiled innocently. "I don't know."

Reena suppressed a weary groan, trying her hardest to ignore the rumbling growls of her protesting stomach. "Well then...what was that stuff exactly?" she asked Richie.

"A Revival Herb mixture." Richie made another sick face and smiled. "Tastes awful, but it's the next best thing to a Revive. Good thing that there are so many wild herbs growing right here. It's no wonder why Cassandra decided to build her pharmacy in this forest."

"Do all trainers know how to make that kind of stuff?" Reena asked sadly. Other than the standard peanut-butter sandwich, her own cooking repertoire was pretty limited.

"It's easier to buy them, if you have the money." Gazing into the pinprick stars that graced the sky overhead, Richie leaned his head into the curve of his Charizard's wing. "Back when I was starting out, though, that was a bit more difficult," he said softly. "But I'd always wanted to be a Pokémon trainer, so I guess I coped with things a little differently." He smiled, hand noting the rise and fall of his Pokémon's flank, but not taking his gaze from the stars above.

"Sometimes, I'd sit outside and look at the night sky by myself," he whispered in a quiet voice. "It was a game I played for hours on end, trying to see pictures in the stars." His voice changed and he sat up abruptly, as if recovering from a temporary daze. "Of course, you probably think I'm silly," he said sheepishly to Reena. "Don't know why I just told you all that, Satoshi; I've never told anybody about that before, except..."

A loud squeal pierced the air, shattering the remainder of Richie's sentence. Reena started to her feet, spotting Chikai on all fours several feet away. The fur sticking straight up from the back of the Pikachu's neck, Chikai let loose a low, hissing sound, stare fixated on a cluster of nearby bushes.

"What's wrong, Chikai?" Reena called, forcing herself to inch closer towards the Pikachu. Behind her, Richie was recalling his sleeping Charizard and hastily reaching for another PokéBall.

"Satoshi!" he shouted, fumbling with the ball's release button. "Grab Chikai and get out of there!"

"Ch...Chikai?" Reena gulped, frozen as the bushes began to quiver violently. "But why?"

"A Pikachu like Chikai might not last long against an attacker!" Richie cried. "Satoshi, please! Just hurry!"

Throwing herself across the ground, Reena slammed blindly into Chikai. Together, both girl and Pikachu rolled down the grassy slope. Reena yelped as Chikai's little claws scratched her arms and face. On the ridge overhead, Richie was yelling something, but Reena was much too disoriented to make out a single word.

"Chikai!" she yelled, rolling to a stop. "Chikai, where are you?"

An irascible voice issued up from underneath her left arm. "You're hurting me, Satoshi."

Reena lifted her arm quickly, grinning sheepishly at the sight of Chikai's venomous glare. "I'm really, really sorry," she said hurriedly, but Chikai was already starting back up the hillside. Reena followed, somewhat more hesitantly.

Richie and his Butterfree, Happy, were still standing in front of the bushes, Richie with a relieved, almost amused, look playing about his face.

"What was it?" Reena asked, words coming out in a rush. "What did Chikai hear?"

There was a slippery sensation of something sleek and slender sliding up her leg and crawling around her arm. Reena screamed and did a wild dance right there in the middle of the field, arms flailing and body writhing. Richie's voice broke through her hysteria momentarily, but it was a sharp nip from Chikai that finally forced her to calm down.

Whereas the stern Pikachu was glaring irritably at Reena, Richie had a hand over his mouth, just barely containing a fit of hilarious laughter. Reena crossed her arms indignantly. The strange slippery feeling she had felt moments before slithered up the back of her neck.

"Don't hurt it!" Richie cried, just as Reena was about to fling the sinuous form from around her neck into the darkness. Reena froze, then stared at the strange creature in her hands.

A blunt little snout poked its way through her fingers, followed by two perky ears and a pair of bright black eyes. "Furret!" the creature cried merrily, popping its long, striped body out from Reena's hands and onto her shoulder. "Fur-re! Furr!" it chirped, entwining itself comfortably around the girl's neck.

"A...a Furret?" Reena choked out finally. "I thought they were supposed to be a lot bigger than this."

Richie nodded musingly. "That has got to be the smallest Furret I've ever seen!" he breathed in awe, reaching a finger towards the tiny Pokémon. Hissing irritably, the Furret's head snaked out and nipped the boy's forearm before retreating back to Reena's shoulder.

Eying the blood welling up from the newly-acquired teeth marks, Richie shrugged. "It must really like you, Satoshi," he said. "Gave us all quite a scare, huh Chikai?"

The scarred Pikachu was still eying the small Furret apprehensively. As if sensing Chikai's distrust, the Furret stuck out its small pink tongue and waggled it in the Pikachu's direction. The glint in Chikai's suspicious eyes sharpened.

Standing up shakily, Reena touched the Furret's sleek fur hesitantly. Chirping contentedly, the small Pokémon snuggled its snout against her hand before draping its body around Reena's neck like a mink stole. As strange as things were, Reena felt herself grinning at her new companion, every bit as enchanted and excited as she had been when she had caught her first Pokémon (a Caterpie) in her ancient Blue Version.

"The little guy will need a name," she said decisively.

"How about Nibbles?" Richie suggested, indicating the bite marks on his arm.

Nibbles it was.

* * *

As the last flickering embers of the campfire died away, Richie looked up into the night sky, then at the young trainer Satoshi and his new Furret. Both were sound asleep, curled up in the shadow of a stately oak tree.

Only a few feet away, Chikai sat broodingly by the campfire, staring silently at the charred firewood that remained. Sighing softly, Richie stood up and went to join the lone Pikachu.

"Hey," Richie said, taking a place beside Chikai. The two of them sat side by side for the longest time, Richie gazing at the stars and Chikai staring at the remains of the campfire.

Finally, Richie broke the silence that hung between them. "Satoshi doesn't know about you, does he?" the young trainer asked Chikai softly. "The way your cheeks are scarred, I've seen it before. Someone's removed your electric sacs, so you can't perform any more electrical attacks. You must have been a pretty powerful fighter at one time, if they considered you a threat enough to be dealt with like that."

Chikai was immobile, frozen in silence.

Richie eyed the scarred Pikachu once more, head bowed. "I'm sorry if I've stirred up unwanted memories," Richie said softly, looking very small and very sad. "Oh, I'm starting to feel sorry I got involved with you and Satoshi at all."

Leaning back into the grass, Richie stared up into the night sky, searching out stars and connecting several to make pictures. Pictures of a boy and a Pikachu. "It's just that...you reminded me," Richie mumbled softly, eyelids dropping. "You remind me so much of..."

Richie was well asleep before Chikai moved at last. Tail twitching in the cool night air, the Pikachu pulled out two blankets from Richie's and Satoshi's backpacks, laying them over each trainer respectively. Raising its nose into the air, the Pikachu sniffed suspiciously. Eyes glinting, Chikai surveyed the dark forest beyond before settling reluctantly down in the grass and curling itself into a tight ball. It, too, was fast asleep when the shadowy figure in the forest stirred again.

Shimmying agilely down from her perch atop a thick tree branch, a petite girl landed neatly on her feet before stepping through the trees and into the field. Her eyes roamed about the sleeping trainers and Pokémon curiously, settling longest on Reena.

"So you're the one?" she whispered softly to herself, approaching the sleeping trainer cautiously. Nibbles, the little Furret around Reena's neck, whiffled out little snores with every rise and fall of its trainer's body.

The small shadow girl smiled at Reena's motionless form. "I would've thought they could do better than this," she giggled to herself. "Watch out, girl from another world," she whispered to Reena's sleeping body. "You've got a long road ahead of you, if you think _you're_ gonna be the Pokémon Champion. And most of your fellow trainers aren't so friendly."

Giggling to herself, the girl swished her thick hair over a shoulder and dashed back into the forest, melting away into the shadows.

* * *

__

"Two basic tips for Pokémon Watchers: stay downwind of the Pokémon you're watching, so it can't smell you and make your breathing match the Pokémon's as you get close, so it can't hear you."

**-Tracey Sketchit, Pokémon Watcher**

* * *

_**Notes:** __Poor Tracey got made into an angst-ridden antihero (gives him a hug). Let's just say the poor guy became really disillusioned and severely cracked. _


	5. RIVALS

**4. RIVALS**

* * *

_"You are indeed skilled as a trainer. But let me say this: You should treat your Pokémon better, the way you battle is far too harsh. Pokémon are not tools of war..."_

* * *

"Hey! Watch it!"

Eyes flashing resentfully, the boy pulled himself away from his captors and brushed off his jeans. His coppery-red hair was long and unkempt from weeks of neglect. With the tangled strands hanging over his eyes (one still black from a recent fight) and a permanent scowl upon his grimy face, the boy made a formidable sight in the corridors of the New Bark Juvenile Rehabilitation Institution.

A young man who had started his career as a trainer indoctrinator and Pokémon researcher only months before, Professor Elm was literally shaking in his boots. Forcing himself to approach the boy, he managed a sickly smile. "Hello, Zed," Elm said in as amiable a tone as he could muster. "How are you doing today?"

The boy pursed his lips shut, still scowling.

"Sure is...a lovely day." Elm gulped as he looked through the grime-streaked window high in the concrete wall. It was the only window in the Institution that was not yet broken. "Zed?" Elm tried again hesitantly.

A flat rumbling snarl, more of a growl than a boy's voice, issued up from between those greasy strands of red hair. "I'm Riddle," the boy stated, black eyes flashing. "Not Zed, Riddle."

"Of course. Riddle," Elm temporized hastily.

Peering at the bumbling Elm through his long hair, Riddle narrowed his eyes in suspicion. This was a far cry from the man whose lab Riddle had broken into several weeks before. That Elm had still been scared of him, but made up for it with strong accusations and patent contempt. This man was terrified of something far more powerful than Riddle himself. Fear was making Elm clumsy and all too submissive. And seeing a grown man falling all over himself like this filled Riddle with the utmost revulsion.

_What's that boy thinking? _Elm thought anxiously, fumbling in his pockets for the letter. The boy's relentlessly piercing eyes and unwavering scowl were thoroughly nerve-racking. And that hair! Someone should have told the boy to cut his hair once in a while, or at least wash it. Well, never mind that. "There's a message for you, Riddle," Elm said, clearing his throat and pulling the letter from his pocket.

Still wearing the same mean-eyed scowl, Riddle took the letter from Elm and scrutinized it carefully. The envelope had been made from a thick, creamy paper and bore an address neatly handwritten in blotless red ink. Riddle's eyes strayed to the red wax seal, embossed with two entwined Dragonair, then back to the shakily-smiling Elm. Even Elm, as nosy as he was with all of the other mail, had refrained from breaking open the seal to this letter.

_Brother, _Riddle thought silently, running a finger over the dragon seal. No wonder Elm was so scared. Everyone knew that the Dragon-master was second only to the Champion himself. _What a wimp, _Riddle thought disgustedly, staring contemptuously at Elm. _Just like all the rest of them. _

Brother Lance always put weaklings like these in their place. Riddle didn't have any use for weaklings.

"The Dragon-master has sent me a letter as well," Elm ventured at last. "You're leaving New Bark this afternoon, Riddle, and your brother requested that you might have this."

Riddle stared incredulously as Elm produced a shiny new PokéDex from beneath his jacket and offered it towards him, along with a PokéBall. A PokéBall not unlike the one Riddle had tried to steal from Elm's Pokémon laboratory weeks ago.

Stupid New Bark trainers, thinking they were so great with their hand-picked Pokémon and pretty little PokéDexes. None of them would ever make it to the top and become Pokémon masters. They were all wimps, every last one of them, undeserving of the special Pokémon and top-of-the-line gadgets Elm and the others dumped into their laps.

Riddle hadn't tried to steal that PokéBall just because he needed it, but because he wanted to prove that none of those wimps would have the guts come after him themselves. He hadn't cared about getting caught.

Fingers closing around the PokéBall's slick surface, Riddle tightened his hold on this new possession, not daring to let a smile creep onto his grungy face. _I knew you'd come through for me, big brother, _he thought triumphantly. _I never doubted you, not ever. You're the only one who's never let me down._

He still seemed to be scowling at Elm as the man hastily exited through the Institution doors, but past those greasy strands of hair and that permanently disfiguring snarl, Riddle was grinning more broadly than he had in years.

He'd show those wimpy New Barkers what a real Pokémon trainer was like. He'd prove to the famous Dragon-master that there was nothing to be ashamed of in being his big brother. And let Houndoom and destruction befall anybody foolish enough to stand in his way.

Riddle's gaze fell on the unopened envelope, and without hesitation, he began to rip through the thick paper. The elaborate curves of his brother's handwriting met Riddle's eyes in precise black ink.

_Dear Zed, _the letter began. Lance was the only one who could call Riddle by his real name and get away with it.

_By now, you have been registered as an official trainer of the Pokémon League. The Dragon-master has a little job for you, which, new as you are, I am sure will come quite naturally to a trainer of your standards..._

* * *

Reena turned over and snuggled into her pillow as her mother's shouts drifted up towards her room. She was so sleepy, and the bed was so warm and comfortable...surely five more minutes couldn't hurt...

A sharp nip in her left ear brought her back to consciousness with a start. Bolting up, Reena stared wide-eyed at the furry, snake-like creature on her shoulder before recalling the events of the past two days with dismay. She wouldn't be back in her room for a while, and a warm bed seemed excruciatingly far out of sight.

"Furrr! Furrr!" Nibbles the Furret chirped shrilly, dancing from Reena's shoulder and scampering to the ground below. Paws folded and mouth pressed into an impatient line, Chikai stood at the side of Reena's head, tapping its hind foot pointedly.

"How can a healthy child like you sleep in so late?" it inquired irritably.

Reena yawned, opening one eye to glance at the pinkish sky above. "How can a little Pokémon like _you _find the energy to nag so early?" she retorted, feeling emboldened by the presence of Nibbles, who was once again perched atop her shoulder and making funny squeaking noises at the Pikachu.

The Furret giggled shrilly, the tip of its tail tickling her neck. Chikai sniffed impatiently, turning its back on Reena. "Well, what are you waiting for?" the Pikachu snapped at last. "There is no way we are willingly going to spend another night in these woods!"

Glancing over at the spent campfire, Reena shook her head at Richie's sleeping form. "What about him?" she said with another yawn, rolling onto her side and closing her eyes. "Come back for me once you get Richie up, 'kay? I could really use five extra minutes."

This was rewarded by a sharp nip from Chikai, right in the ear where Nibbles had bitten her before. Chikai's eyes were glaring at her in a very peculiar way, and the Pikachu, she now realized, was constantly sneaking backward glances to where Richie was sleeping.

Reena sat up again, this time so quickly that Nibbles gave a yelp of dismay and sprang down from her neck. "You're scared of him, aren't you, Chikai?" she asked incredulously.

"Not the term I would have chosen," the Pikachu replied stiffly. "Wary is more like it. The child is deeply interwoven within the League, interwoven in ways a novice trainer like yourself cannot find favorable."

"So you want me to leave him behind, is that it?" Reena felt her cheeks flush hot in anger. "Chikai, I know how to keep a promise. I can't..."

"No one said anything about leaving Richie behind," Chikai interrupted, putting up a paw. "At least, not permanently. There's something I have to show you, Satoshi. Alone." It gazed pointedly at Richie and crossed its paws again.

"But what if he wakes up and finds out we're gone?"

Chikai sighed impatiently, tail cutting the air behind its body in wide swathes. "He can deal. Now hurry up."

"Breakfast?" Reena said hopefully as she picked up her pack and followed the Pikachu between two nearly sandwiched tree trunks.

"Don't bet on it, Satoshi."

* * *

Richie awoke from a dreamless sleep and mechanically proceeded with burying the campfire of the night before. Chikai and Satoshi were nowhere in sight. Looking upward into the pink wash of dawn and gold-dusted clouds that clustered about the rising sun, Richie could barely restrain a sad chuckle.

It had all been too good to be true. Remembering Satoshi's sparkling eyes and that firm handshake, Richie felt a familiar pang of something unnamable uncurl in his stomach and strike out dully. It wasn't a feeling that could be described, not after its sharpness had been blunted by countless lashings.

Richie couldn't blame the other trainer for leaving, as Satoshi surely must have done. The quick shake, the fervent promise; Richie had been through it all before. Like the daily hunger pangs, the sting of a broken promise was a lot duller the second time around. Or the third.

But even now, Satoshi's quick, confident words still echoed in Richie's mind, innocent and taunting all at once.

_So is it a deal? Anything you say, coach!_

And another voice behind them, clear and bold.

_Don't forget! We promised._

But what use were these lingering words now, save for stirring up unwanted memories? Shaking away these nagging thoughts, Richie rose and glanced into the morning sky once more. The sunset was losing its brilliance and color, melting into the pale blue that would lead the rest of the day.

_Any Pokémon trainer worth their PokéBall would be up and going by now,_ Richie thought fiercely. There was no use in hoping for Satoshi to come back, and nothing to do expect turning one's back and moving on.

A rustling in the nearby bushes caught Richie's eye. Hardly daring to hope, Richie took a tentative step forward. "Satoshi? Chikai? Is that you?"

There was no reply, and the rustlings had settled down. Richie's shoulders slumped; it had been foolish to believe Satoshi and Chikai would return, even for an instant. A couple of Rattata had probably gotten into a scuffle, or maybe an Ekans had attacked a Pidgey nest. It could have been any number of things.

The rustlings came again, even louder and more noticeable than before. "Satoshi?" Richie called more loudly. Breath bated, the trainer took one step towards the bushes, then another.

"Stun Spore," someone hissed so quietly it sounded no more than a whisper of the passing breeze.

A pair of compounded eyes sprang forth as Richie gasped. Their owner beat its broad wings, throwing a thick cloud of golden dust into the air. Richie hit the ground with a head-cracking crash, fully unconscious, mouth still frozen in a surprised call.

* * *

Caught in mid-yawn, Reena gazed wide-eyed upon the shimmering blue expanse of water through the fringe of trees that Chikai had led them towards. Pushing her way past the last few tree trunks, Reena found herself in the middle of a sandy shoreline. She caught her breath at the sight of the ocean, glittering like some vast rippling length of melted metal underneath the newly-born sun. Inhaling at last, Reena moved forward, leaving a fine trail of footprints in the sand, until the edge of the waves lapped at her sneaker toes.

"Enjoying yourself?" Chikai said sharply from the side, breaking into her reverie. "You'd think even a child like you would have seen water before."

Nibbles hissed, winding its tail around Reena's neck and tickling her chin. "Where does it all go to?" Reena said suddenly, breaking her gaze to turn to Chikai.

The Pikachu looked startled by Reena's question. "What are you talking about?" it demanded sharply.

Reena waved a hand towards the ocean. "This," she said in a vague voice. "The ocean. Chikai, is there something on the other side?"

Chikai's ears twitched in annoyance. "Of course there's something on the other side!" it snapped. "What did you think?"

Again Reena's face was vague, almost detached. The girl had turned her gaze to the ocean once more and was drinking in the sight as deeply as a half-dehydrated Dewgong. Chikai had seen only one other child look with the same strange thirst as Reena.

Chikai remembered what had followed with a vividness and clarity far beyond its time. The Pikachu had been nursing doubts about Reena ever since she had arrived disoriented and nonplussed in the forest, babbling on and on about her games and cartoons. But this...this was something else all together. The fine fur on the back of the Pikachu's neck rose in silent apprehension.

Eyes fixated on the distant waves, Reena waded knee-deep into the salty water. The surface of the ocean was swelling now, a large span of ripples blossoming out from the tips of Reena's feet. Nibbles gave a small squeal as the ripples swirled into a white froth, sending a spray of water droplets flying about Reena's shoulders.

Something was moving rapidly underneath the water, pulsating with an eerie blue light as it zoomed towards the shore. Eyes glazed, Reena bent over and reached both hands into the water, emerging with a glimmering round object clasped between her fingers. There was a final hiss as the water twisted about Reena's feet in a miniature whirlpool, before the maelstrom slowed and dissipated into the steady rhythm of the ocean waves.

The glazed look in Reena's eyes was replaced by one of bewilderment as she found herself standing in the water, arms dripping and a very wet Nibbles gnashing its teeth at her tetchily.

Looking bemusedly to shore, Reena was surprised to see Chikai standing in the middle of the beach, a rather smug smile upon its small round face. "The signs were right after all," the Pikachu said, eyes bright in anticipation. "We may not have made the wrong choice after all."

"What?" Reena asked, stepping out of the water. Looking down at the glowing orb in her hands, she gave a small gasp of surprise. "Whoa!" she gasped as she turned the pulsating glass ball in her hands over and over again. A flickering orangey-gold light danced in the center of the glass, shot through with tongues of pale icy blue.

"Chikai, does this mean I'm the Chosen One, like Ash in the second movie?" she asked slowly. "Do I get to save the world from that guy in the flying chair?"

The look of awe on Chikai's face abruptly vanished, replaced by one of disgust.

"I didn't like that movie anyway!" Reena defended herself hastily. "No offense, but what happened to teamwork in that thing?"

"Will you stop trying to compare yourself and this world to your ridiculous cartoon characters!" Chikai snapped, tail twitching spastically from side to side. "All that talk is a load of Phanpy fodder! No foolish little human child can save the world from what plagues us, Satoshi! Now take that ball in your hands and break it."

"Break it?" Reena stared disbelievingly at the insistent Pikachu. The deadly look reflected in Chikai's eyes would have quailed her instantly before, but the ball of light in her hand seemed far too precious to smash.

"You heard me," Chikai said sternly. "Take a rock or throw it against a tree, it doesn't matter! Just break it open, and be quick about it! We don't have all day."

Reena would have liked to have prodded the Pikachu for an explanation, but there was something about Chikai's rigid stance and its tight voice that discouraged her from doing. There was something in the Pikachu's voice that she had never thought she would hear from Chikai: taunt desperation.

Gulping, she lifted the glass ball high above her head, ready to fling it to the ground. The light inside pulsated erratically, faster and faster until it became a continuous blur of gold and blue.

"Stop that!" a new, harsh voice rang out, freezing Reena in mid-hurl. Even Chikai seemed unable to move as the bushes parted, revealing a boy with long, greasy red hair and piercing dark eyes. The boy's sharp gaze skived past Chikai to Reena - or, more precisely, to the glass ball she held above her head.

"Now give me that, like a good little Pokémon trainer," he commanded, eyes flashing imperiously. A sneer twisted his face as Reena choose to remain silent and immobile. "Don't even think about breaking that," the boy said, fingers tightening around the shiny PokéBall in his left hand. "Scared, are you?" he taunted as Reena's eyes strayed towards his PokéBall. "What's the matter, afraid of a little Pokémon battle, wimp?"

Reena knew as well as the next player that you couldn't run from a trainer battle in the Pokémon game. Somehow, she supposed, the real thing wasn't much different. But it didn't matter now. In her moment of deliberation, the red-haired boy strode forward on his long legs, snatching the glass orb from Reena's hand in one deft motion.

"Hey!" Reena yelped, lunging towards the other child. "Give it back!"

"Furret! Furr!" Nibbles screeched, baring its teeth at the red-haired boy.

"I don't see what's so special about this," the boy said suspiciously, evading her wild grasps easily and turning the glass so that it caught the sunlight. "The Chosen One, huh? Chosen by some dumb glass ornament that somebody pitched into the drink. As if anybody would be stupid enough to...AHH!"

Reena's jaw dropped in horror as the red-haired boy stumbled back, clutching at his left hand and crying out it agony. Nibbles had launched itself off Reena's shoulder and sunk its teeth viciously into the boy's palm.

The glass orb was flung out far over the water, crashing against a protruding rock and shattering into thousands of sparkling fragments. Nibbles went flying in the opposite direction, snagging the shoulder of Reena's jacket with its claws just in time. Reena herself barely had time to see an enormous apparition of gold and blue rise from the water before the light blinded her.

"Down!" Chikai screeched over the sudden rush of wind that threw Reena into the sand. As the spots cleared from her eyes, Reena caught a glimpse of a winged figure disappearing over the treetops and into the glare of the morning sun.

Beside her, Chikai let out a dismayed groan.

"What in Lugia's name went wrong!" it demanded the empty sky irritably. "_That _was most definitely _not _supposed to happen! Never, not by all the feathers in the tail of Ho-oh, have I ever..."

"Chikai?" Reena said shakily. "Chikai!"

But the Pikachu was so caught up in its angry tirade that it didn't even bother to glance in her direction.

Swiftly, Reena reached out and yanked Chikai's flailing tail, hard enough to send the Pikachu staggering back into the sand. Chikai yelped, readying its jaw to bite her extended fingers. But what it saw just beyond Reena's shoulder froze every muscle in its small body.

The red-haired boy was staring open-mouthed at Chikai. Gingerly, he removed his bitten hand from its soaking in the salty ocean water to point at the Pikachu. "That Pokémon talked!" he hissed accusingly, face chalk-white. "When the League finds out about this, both of you will be deader than a Charmander in a tank of Gyarados."

* * *

A stabbing jag of pain cut through the cloud of blackness in Richie's head. The shot of pain came again, more piercing than before, as Richie tried to move, hesitantly at first, but motions rapidly growing more desperate.

From his position across from the fugitive, Tracey saw the faint twitching of muscles underneath the boy's eyelids and heard the fugitive's breath quicken into a jagged pant. So he had awakened and was fighting the effects of the Stun Spore attack at last. Quickly, Tracey reached for a vial of some strange looking powder. He added a pinch of this into a waiting mug of water, along with some crushed berries. Then, without much ceremony, he raised the concoction to boy's lips and forced in into his mouth.

With a spluttering gasp, the child's eyes flickered open. He stared at Tracey for a moment, then at the foul-smelling potion in his hands.

"It's a Paralysis Antidote," Tracey explained grudgingly, glancing down at the detailed notes in his worn sketchpad. "It will also help ease the pain in your head."

The boy attempted to feel the side of his head that Tracey had bandaged for him, only to find that his hands were lashed behind a thick tree trunk. He struggled briefly until Tracey's voice broke through the silence. "There's no use," the Watcher stated matter-of-factly as he cleaned out the mug and set it into his pack once more. "That cord is made of Gyarados whiskers. Not even a Gyarados itself could break it apart. And even if you somehow managed to slip out..." He gestured a hand to a hovering Venomouth, wings emitting a peculiar-smelling waft of powder. "My Venomouth could just use another Stun Spore on you."

"You...you know a lot about this...kind of stuff, don't you?" the boy choked out. It was the first Tracey had ever heard him speak, and the Watcher narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"What, holding somebody captive?"

"No, Pokémon," the boy replied. He was regaining better control of his muscles now, and his eyes darted quickly over Tracey's shoulder to the backpack Tracey had picked up after capturing the boy.

Tracey noted his gaze through narrowed eyes. "Yours?" he said, holding the backpack up by the straps and setting it back down behind him. "I haven't gone through it, if that's what you want to know."

The child was silent, but allowed a bit of relief to wash away the building tension. Richie had seen this person before, always like a second shadow at Professor Oak's side during awards ceremonies and other prestigious League events.

And again that agonizing night when Richie had lost a sick friend. Sparky had been Richie's closest companion far before either of them could remember. But as the pain of losing Sparky continued to chip away at Richie, the determination to save the Pikachu was fueling its trainer's soul. Tracey Sketchit had always struck Richie as a direct, straightforward kind of person. Not the type to lie to a child, especially one in Richie's predicament.

"Tracey?" Richie said. The Watcher appeared not to hear, but Richie knew that he was listening. "Tracey, is Sparky...my Pikachu...all right?"

Tracey heaved a long sigh, and the Venomouth above Richie's head fluttered its wings anxiously. "Sparky is fine," Tracey said finally, still not looking at Richie's face. "You'll be joining your friend soon enough. I've sent my Scyther with a message. The League should be here any minute to pick you up."

He said it so casually, so nonchalantly, that the words burned Richie more effectively than any taunts could have done. "The League stole my best friend," Richie said bitterly, eyes blazing. "They took away my badges, my trainer's license, confiscated all of my PokéBalls that they could find to..."

The child broke off, biting his lip, Tracey noticed through the corner of his eyes.

"I never found out why," Richie finished dejectedly. "Why was I singled out from all the other trainers as a target?"

"You're not the only one," Tracey stated, clutching at his pencil so tightly that he heard it snap in half. "There are many others who have shared your fate."

"But why? Why us?"

Narrowing his eyes skeptically, Tracey leaned forward, tilting the boy's face to meet his gaze. The child stared straight back at him, jaw clenched and eyes flashing angrily.

Richie waited impatiently for the blow that was sure to come. Instead, the Pokémon Watcher did the last thing Richie had expected. Tracey drew back and let out a long, ringing laugh.

"You really don't know, do you?" he said, wiping his eyes and staring at Richie disbelievingly. "All this, and you still don't know?"

Richie gave a sigh and waited for the Watcher's chuckles to subside.

"Think about it!" Tracey said. "You're far from being the only target of the League! There were many others before you - don't you know anything about them?"

"I don't," Richie managed through gritted teeth.

"It's your own loss," Tracey shrugged, all traces of laughter wiped from his face. "Let's just say I wouldn't want to be in your place right now. Not after what happened to the others."

Richie's heart skipped a beat. "Who?"

Tracey's face darkened. The look on the boy's face was both desperate and torn, paling in anticipation of the Watcher's answer. Not receiving one looked about good enough to finish the child off. But hearing the answer that hung in the air between them could easily serve the same purpose.

"Professor Oak's own grandson was one of the League's first victims," Tracey said at last, so quietly Richie almost didn't catch his voice. "Gary Oak, Viridian Gym Leader and Pokémon master to be. Stripped of his Gym authority and Pokémon license, hunted down by the League's finest less than one year ago. The Professor was devastated. But he would never act out against the League. I saw them take his grandson away, head high and refusing to call out to his grandfather. Oak never looked at the boy. Not once."

Richie could recall faint memories of Gary Oak at best. They'd met, but not under favorable circumstances. Always confident, always one step ahead of the other trainers, Gary had just been learning to treat his Pokémon as friends and equals when Richie had last heard of him. Gary would have been a great Pokémon master, Richie thought with a pang. And now what chance was there of that?

"Of course, the League did not publicize the disappearance of Gary Oak, or of the trainers that followed," Tracey went on, eying Richie like the child was his newest research specimen. "All of us were told to forget what happened. As we will forget you after you are taken."

"What happened to Gary and those trainers?" Richie whispered. "What...why did the League...?"

Tracey held up a hand to silence Richie's questions. "No one knows, do they?" he said sharply. "You'll find out soon enough, at any rate."

Richie was silent, contemplating Tracey's words. Richie had practically nothing in common with Gary Oak. Nothing distinguishable from any other run-of-the-mill trainer, anyway. Unless...

A flash of realization sliced like a knife through the nagging cloud of doubt in Richie's mind. But the mere prospect was appalling. It couldn't be true - the idea was nothing more than a delusion brought on by a banged-up head...

Richie tried to speak. Tried to ask Tracey if there was a single shred of possibility in such a ridiculous theory. But the trainer never had time to get the words out. For from the sky above, there came a luminous light. A rush of wind tore through the treetops, and Richie glimpsed a glorious winged creature alighting on the ground, bathed in a golden and azure radiance.

The light! Richie was nearly blinded as the creature approached, wings spread in a graceful arc behind its back. Tracey, on the other hand, was caught in a much deeper awe.

"What an extraordinary Dragonite," the Pokémon Watcher breathed, seemingly frozen by the majestic creature's brilliant gaze. "Even the Dragon-master himself has probably never seen such a wondrous creature." Gaze transfixed on the Pokémon before him, Tracey took one step, then another, as if mesmerized, the sketchbook and broken pencil dropping from his hands to hit the ground below.

Richie gasped softly as the gigantic Pokémon moved closer, its glowing golden gaze drifting about to land on the trainer's bonds. There was a sudden snap, and Richie felt the cords Tracey had tied fall loose to the ground.

The Pokémon Watcher was frozen in place, still staring at the legendary Pokémon, face wreathed in exultation and wonderment. Quietly, cautiously, Richie crept behind him and snatched up the backpack Tracey had left lying on the ground nearby. The Watcher still showed no sign of moving as Richie backed away, pack in hand, holding up an arm to block the blinding light reflecting off the Dragonite's shiny hide.

As if to urge the trainer on, the Dragonite's antennae twitched, then raised themselves high into the air in acknowledgement. Richie continued to back away, keeping a steady gaze on the transfixed Tracey.

It was only when the glowing light of the Dragonite had disappeared behind a thick grove of trees that Richie turned and ran without a glance back.

It was dark in the forest, so dark that Richie was unable to keep from stumbling over even the tiniest ridges and roots in the dirt. The badly shaken trainer had found even footing at last when a shadow burst through the trees and plowed its way violently past.

"Watch where you're going, wimp!" a rough voice came out of the darkness as Richie nearly went sprawling. Too breathless and too frantic to worry who or what the shadow had been, Richie staggered up and continued running.

* * *

"Watch where you're going, wimp!" Riddle yelled at whatever it was that had glanced him on the shoulder as he sprinted through the woods. It might have been a stray branch, a wandering Pokémon, or even that crazy kid with the talking Pikachu, but Riddle didn't care.

The blood on his broken skin seemed to gleam even in the darkness. His hand didn't hurt anymore-instead, it had gone sickeningly numb. His PokéBall was safe within his pocket, at least. Not that he had stuck around to use it.

Talking Pikachu and exploding glass ornaments and rabid biting Furret who were far too small to be real? Riddle blundered on, hoping beyond hope that the kid with the Pikachu would not follow. Brother Lance hadn't said anything about expecting any of this in his letter.

Riddle prided himself on being able to handle a lot of things. Finding the trainer that Lance had described was easy enough. Satoshi Golden, or whatever the kid's name was, and the fugitive had left a trail clearer than the hind side of a Snorlax. Riddle had only to follow their campfire smoke and then the trail of bent branches and scuffed dirt through the woods to the beach. But even then, he had come up only one trainer, and the novice at that.

Just thinking up that creepy kid Satoshi sent a sick chill up Riddle's spine. Golden had looked weird enough standing in the water with his wispy black hair and soaking wet clothes. Not to mention that Furret on his shoulder. Riddle was positive no Furret had ever been that tiny. And that exploding ball and talking Pikachu to top it all off.

Satoshi Golden was not a normal Pokémon trainer, as Lance had implied in his reassuring letter. If Riddle didn't know better, he might have said that the kid was some unearthly being, like a wizard or a sorcerer. Riddle didn't like mysterious things. Tangible, punch-in-the-face, sock-in-the-stomach he could take in stride. But not this.

_Now that was the wimpiest thing I've ever heard! _Riddle thought angrily at himself. _So the kid's got a talking Pikachu and almost gets your hand bitten off. Big deal! He's still a wimp inside. They all are._

Wimps Riddle could handle. But not if he was one himself.

_I'll find you again, Satoshi Golden, _he vowed heatedly to himself. _And when I do, cross my heart, you're going to be the one who's running away._

* * *

"Angels? Don't be silly, Satoshi. There was no angel."

"Are there angels in this world, Chikai?" Reena asked as the strange trio trudged on through the woods, the Pikachu leading on all fours, with its tail raised to monitor the air around them. Nibbles the Furret, on the other hand, had long since fallen asleep curled around Reena's shoulders.

"People believe whatever foolishness they want," the Pikachu sniffed dismissively, wrinkling its nose at the salty trail of water dripping from the ends of Reena's shorts.

Reena sighed. "Look, I could change into my other clothes, the ones from my world, if you weren't so paranoid."

Chikai's sniff had a definite insult about it. "If that _boy_ opens his mouth and spreads the story of a trainer and his talking Pikachu, we would do best to keep a low profile," Chikai spat, pronouncing the word "boy" in the same manner one might refer to a deadly plague.

"That kid with the red hair?" Reena asked. "I'll bet he'll be too embarrassed about running away to say a word to anybody. You know, Chikai, he looked kind of familiar; I think I've seen himself someplace before, in my own world..."

"Likely enough," the Pikachu allowed grudgingly, before swiftly changing the topic. "Tell me something, Satoshi. Did your world ever mention something known as the Guardians?"

"I thought I was supposed to forget about my own world," Reena teased.

As she should have expected, Chikai was in no mood to take even the slightest hint of a jest. "Just answer the question, child," it snapped, tail twitching in its usual pattern of annoyance. "Was there anything in your world that referred to a race called the Guardians?"

"Come to think of it..." Reena's brisk walk slowed just a tad as she cocked her head to the side in remembrance. "The legendary Pokémon Lugia was called something along the lines of 'Water's Great Guardian' in one of the Pokémon movies. That's the one I was talking about before, about the Chosen One. 'Course, the Chosen One was supposed to be Ash Ketchum, who you said doesn't actually exist here."

Chikai frowned, its furry yellow forehead deepening into just the slightest groove of wrinkles. "Well?" it snapped quickly at Reena. "Are there any other Pokémon associated with Lugia in your world?"

Reena was a bit taken aback by Chikai's sudden ferocity, but answered promptly, as if reciting from rote. "There's the other legendary birds, of course: Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres," she started off. "Then the legendary dogs, I guess: Raikou, Entei, and Suicune. And Ho-oh, the other star Pokémon of G/S besides Lugia. There are other legendaries like Mew and Celebi, too; is that what you're looking for?"

A sudden wave of realization dawned upon Reena as soon as the words had left her mouth. "The creature that came out of the glass ball," she said breathlessly. "It was a legendary Pokémon, wasn't it? One of your Guardians."

Chikai was torn between its customary scowl and a grudging look of approval. "The Legendaries, as you call them, do indeed appear to be what our world knows as Guardians," the Pikachu said. "The one you released, Satoshi, was the Shining Dragonite Hikari, Guardian of the Storm."

Eyes bright, Chikai begrudged the girl one of its extremely rare and misshapen attempts at a smile. "If anything, your ability to handle the Storm Guardian's orb proves that you may be fit to become the League Champion. After quite a bit of work, it goes without saying," it added quickly, brow furrowing. "But there is something else I do not understand...Hikari Dragonite should have come to you immediately after you released it. Instead, we have seen neither hide nor hair of the ungrateful thing since."

"Will it be back, Chikai?"

The Pikachu's button black eyes raised themselves to the heavens and their owner heaved a heavy sigh. "Who can tell with such Pokémon of power?" it said with a scowl. "The Guardians do whatever pleases them. Every hundred years or so, they seal themselves in mystic orbs, suspended in stasis until such-and-such a trainer sees fit to release them again. The Guardians have the power to change the world as we know it, and they know that this power is best taken in moderation. For now, all they handle are petty services such as travelers lost in the mountains, droughts in the far south, young trainers in desperate need..."

"Well, that's fine, too," Reena said consolingly. "As cool as it would be to have my own Dragonite, I guess it's okay if that Pokémon wants to ditch me to help some poor trainer somewhere..."

Her eyes widened not a split-second later in both terror and revelation. "Richie!" she yelped, shoving her way through the undergrowth and stumbling those last few steps onto the campsite of the night before.

It was deserted, and the hazy gold particles of an old Stun Spore floated not several feet away.

* * *

__

_"You are indeed skilled as a trainer. But let me say this: You should treat your Pokémon better, the way you battle is far too harsh. Pokémon are not tools of war..."_

**-Sprout Tower Elder to G/S Rival**

* * *

_**Notes:** Yay, __G/S rival! I love that guy! Riddle needs to take lessons from Gary and Drew so he can get himself some of that trademark Pokémon rival charisma. XD I heard that, in Pokémon FR/LG, the G/S rival was implied to be Giovanni's son; he's Lance's kid brother here, though, because of their similar hair colors. Huh, I could totally tie those two points together... (plots)_

_This is was written before I found out Gary became a researcher, so the Gary we see here leans more to his gameverse basis, the rival character "Blue," who goes on to become the Viridian Gym Leader. Gary himself appears later, as well._


	6. LIGHTHOUSE

**5. LIGHTHOUSE**

* * *

_"There's a lot for us to look for, inside and outside ourselves. There's meaning for every creature, a meaning for all the Pokémon and a meaning for us humans, too."_

* * *

Richie had lost all track of time. Nothing mattered, not the stiff dried twigs that ripped past and left puffy red scars, not the uneven dirt below or the ominous darkness beyond. The only thing that mattered right now was to run.

There were no angry shouts from Tracey, nor the League officials that the Watcher had claimed to have summoned. _But I'm making too much noise! _Richie thought desperately, ducking a low-lying vine. _Any tracker they bring in here will hear me in an instant. If only I can find open ground, like I did before. Zippo might have recovered by now. Please, let it have! _

Richie stumbled as a particularly twisted branch caught onto a jacket sleeve. The trainer felt just the quickest sensation of being tugged backwards before the branch snapped with a loud crack.

Arms milling about in wild circles, Richie sprawled forward, cheek hitting soft dirt with a light thud. Everywhere, muscles were aching and groaning in painful protest of the long run. Dazed and thoroughly exhausted, the child lay in the dirt for several long minutes, eyes closed. So much of the trainer's short life had been spent running that it felt wonderfully good to stop, even for a moment.

_I've really outdone myself now, _Richie thought ruefully, eyes still shut. _I've run too long; from my family, whatever was left of it, the League, who gave me my Pokémon license in the first place, and even some of the people who I used to think actually wanted me around. _

It would be so easy to stop forever. Richie had half a mind to lie there until the League came. But, in the end, what kind of relief would that offer?

A soft splatter broke into Richie's daze, followed by another and another until the rhythm of splashes was strong and steady. The falling rain matted Richie's hair, and the dirt around the trainer's head was rapidly turning into a muddy puddle. Richie's eyes kept themselves firmly closed, their owner half-wishing the rain could wash everything away along with the soft soil.

It took the trainer a while to realize that the barrage of raindrops had stopped, and that the pattering of their fall had been dulled by a much higher surface than that of the ground.

Eyes fluttering open amid a curtain of raindrops, Richie saw a shimmering form of light standing against the rain. Brilliant golden eyes were fixed intently on the child's own. Silently, the glossy-hided Dragonite bent over Richie's body, antennae swishing to and fro as if to taste the wind. As the slender antennae nearly brushed the trainer's forehead, Richie understood now the awe that had captivated Tracey before. For some reason, the light of the Dragonite did not blind Richie now, bright as the Pokémon remained.

Child and Pokémon stood that way in the rain for quite some time, frozen still as the rain poured down around them. Finally, the Dragonite let loose a long, melodious call, turning its head to the side and unfurling its shining wings.

The rain ceased around them and the sky above was replaced by a shimmering sky blue not unlike that of the Dragonite's smooth wings. With a final glance in Richie's direction, the Dragonite launched itself into the air, disappearing into the blaze of the brightly glaring sun.

Formerly muddy clothes somehow completely clean and dry, Richie rose and gasped at the expanse of ocean, which now graced a horizon completely devoid of trees and darkness. Framed against the water sat a quaint little lighthouse affixed to a red-roofed cottage, high above a weathered cliff beaten by the rowdy waves.

_The Dragonite brought me here, _Richie knew suddenly. _It brought me here because of that._

Breathing in the cool sea air, Richie set off in the direction of the lighthouse.

* * *

"We shouldn't have left him all alone, not with the League or whoever after him!" Reena's face was flushed red with arguing with Chikai, who remained as impassive as ever. "If Richie's hurt now-or if he's dead-oh, Chikai, how can you just sit there! What are we going to do now?"

The Pikachu's face was colder than a Cloyster's Aurora Beam in mid-December. "Nothing, I suppose," it replied shortly, tone grim. "There's nothing we can do against the League now."

"But I promised him!" Reena cried, pacing wildly about the edge of the clearing. "I promised that we would be in this together!"

"And what did you think you were going to do if he was taken!" Chikai snapped sharply, black eyes flashing in irritation. "A silly novice trainer like yourself, against the wrath of the Pokémon League! Making promises you can't possibly keep!"

Reena felt something hot prick the backs of her eyes, blurring her vision-she couldn't cry in front of Chikai, even when the truth behind its harsh statement was so strikingly evident. Biting her lip, Reena looked quickly away, not daring to say a word. Instead, she kept on pacing, feet taking her mechanically back and forth while she forced her mind to remain numb.

Chikai waited until Reena had recovered and was able to look up. Then its voice came again, softer, but indubitably steelier than before. "I should have realized you would have a harder time adjusting to this world," Chikai said in that low, cutting voice, tail and ears both stonily still. "It is my own fault, choosing you when so many others from your world would have done as well. But..."

Now Reena could hear the Pikachu's steel flash, tightening its voice in grim determination. "My last choice was a failure, Satoshi," it stated coldly. "A complete and utter failure. I do not plan on repeating it."

"Others from my world?" Reena exclaimed, uncertain whether she had heard Chikai correctly. "There have been people from my world here, before me?"

"How else do you think the concept of Pokémon arrived in your world in the first place?" Chikai demanded. Reena was almost positive that the Pikachu was on the verge of adding to this, if only to chide her. That was, until a shrill whistle broke through the clearing, blasting both their ears.

"What in the region...." Chikai started angrily as Reena sprang to her feet.

The piercing whistle came again, followed by three more sharp bursts and the lilting sound of a girl's singing voice.

_"Let's all cheer Electabuzz, greatest team of all!  
__The players charge the field and Double Team the ball!"_

Chikai's small body tensed. Without hesitation, the Pikachu dashed in front of Reena, tail raised and ears flat against its back. Moments later, the bushes on the edge of the clearing parted, admitting a lean Bayleef, head-leaf whacking the spindly branches aside as it marched forward. Not more than a step behind the Pokémon paraded a small figure dressed in all in yellow, a girl a bit younger than Reena herself. The girl's straight blue pigtails slashed from side to side as she sang in time to the Pokémon's footsteps.

Both Reena and Chikai were speechless at this strange sight. Reena was feeling a bit dizzy; she recognized this girl from the Pokémon anime, as she had done with Cassandra and Richie. _What was her name again?_ she thought to herself. _Cassie, Kathy?_

_"Win, win, through thick and thin!  
__Electabuzz, it's you!"_

There was a sudden lull as the girl stopped in front of Reena, arms thrust apart in the exuberant finale of her song. "Yay!" she squealed loudly, making Reena jump.

"Bay! Bay!" the Bayleef cried, bobbing its head in approval.

Looking Reena up and down, and not at all perturbed by the other's wide-eyed befuddlement, the girl put her hands on her hips and leaned forward. "You're Richie's friend, aren't you?" she asked brazenly, pigtails falling over her skinny shoulders. Before Reena had a chance to answer, the girl's hand shot out and stroked the still sleeping Nibbles on the head.

"Cute Furret you've got there!" she squealed. "I love the adorable little stripes on his adorable little tail! Ooh, you want to come with me now? Come on and climb my arm!"

Reena shook her head in confusion until she realized the girl was talking to Nibbles, who had awakened at last and baring its tiny teeth in a lazy yawn. The Furret stretched out its long, lithe body before scampering up onto the other girl's shoulder, chirping inquisitively.

The girl giggled as Nibbles poked its small, wet nose into her ear and began to climb onto her head. "You a fan, then?" she asked Reena.

"What do you mean?" Reena replied in puzzlement, before eying the striped baseball cap sitting cock-eyed on the other girl's head. "Oh, you mean a fan of the Electabuzz baseball team?"

"It's only the best team in the region, you know!" the girl retorted. "I always root for the Electabuzz! Richie, too. We're both big-time fans." Cocking her head, she unhooked a clunky yellow and black-banded bat from the band around her neck. She waved said bat several times in the air, humming snatches of the Electabuzz song, before smacking Reena on the head.

"Ouch!" Reena yelped, backing away hurriedly. "What was that for?"

"Nothing," the girl said innocently. "Now when you see Richie again, you should tell him that the team's playing against the Magikarp in Cerulean Stadium. They just got a man on first, but the next batter's gonna have to step up to the plate and hit it past the four 'Karps eyeing second!" She thrust her arms far out again, hands wildly motioning to demonstrate. "It'll be a close game, that's for sure!" she continued, pigtails swishing to and fro. "But everyone knows that the Electabuzz always win! Well, most of the time, anyway. They just have to get out there and do their best!"

"Bay'ay!" the Bayleef cheered, leaf waving exuberantly.

Reena examined the tops of her sneakers miserably, not sure how to put the news of Richie's disappearance to this friend of his. "I...don't know if Richie will be interested in baseball right now," she said at last.

"Oh, he will," the girl said firmly. "Trust me. When you're a fan of the Electabuzz, nothing's gonna keep you from rooting for them! Nothing!"

"But..." Reena started hesitantly. She was immediately silenced by a second clout to the head by the girl's bat. "Why do you keep on doing that?" Reena demanded angrily, rubbing at her head.

The girl shook a finger at Reena accusingly. "You've lost Richie, haven't you?" she said. "Well, there's no need to bench yourself for it. He'll turn up soon enough, just you wait and see." When Reena didn't reply, she delivered another whack with the bat, one forceful enough to knock Reena from her daze.

"I really wish you'd stop doing that," Reena grumbled.

"A few busted brain cells never hurt anybody," the girl replied promptly, refastening the bat around her neck and untangling Nibbles from her hair. "Well, I've got a game to catch in Cerulean! Don't forget to tell Richie; he'll be so disappointed if you do. See ya!"

And after handing the disgruntled Furret back to its trainer, the girl and her Bayleef were off again, marching to the rhythm of the girl's exuberant song. Reena was staring long after the girl's voice had faded out of range.

"Richie has some pretty weird friends," she said, shaking her head incredulously.

"There's a pun about you being living proof of that," Chikai said dryly, "but it would be wasted on you." Flicking its tail back and smoothing down its rumpled coat, the Pikachu started off in the direction the Electabuzz girl had disappeared, beckoning impatiently for Reena to follow. "I'll chase my tail like a Growlithe pup if that silly girl doesn't know something that she isn't telling."

"Chikai, look!" Reena called as the duo emerged onto a sandy beach, amid the roar of the ocean water.

"I see it!" the Pikachu barked, eyes snapping to the small white lighthouse nestled above the cliffs before them. "Honestly, how could anybody miss that thing-it must be the only sign of civilization for miles around!"

But Reena was looking nowhere near the lighthouse atop the cliff. The Pikachu backed up reluctantly, following her gaze to the ground in front of her.

Imprinted in the sand was a series of footprints, not yet swept away by the ocean wind. Reena stepped forward eagerly, tracing the prints towards the other end of the beach. "They went there!" she concluded quickly, pointing to the lighthouse Chikai had noticed before.

"You honestly think it's Richie?" Chikai yelled. Sand flew from beneath the Pikachu's paws as it tried to match the run Reena had broken into.

"Please, please let it be!" she gasped.

* * *

_It's so quiet in here. Dark, too, _Richie thought uneasily as the doors to the lighthouse cottage creaked shut on their badly rusted hinges. This place was much larger than it looked from the outside, or was that only because the walls were so heavily obscured in darkness? As far as Richie could tell, not a single window graced the inside of the lighthouse.

The only bearing in Richie's surroundings, an ancient carpet in the front walkway, was extremely thick and steeped through with old dust. Clouds of this dust swirled into the air as soon as it was brushed by Richie's boots, making for a watery-eyed sneeze. _If Zippo was still a Charmander, I could use its tail flame for light, _Richie mused, making unhurried, but steady passage across the long carpet.

There was something about this place, a heavy solemn reverence, that forced Richie to slow down to little more than an ambling walk. In here, every sound seemed eerily magnified, including the ragged panting of Richie's own breath.

A flickering blue light sat in the shadow of a nearby alcove. Fingers crossed for a lamp or perhaps a set of lights, Richie stepped forward and frowned.

The light was the blank screen of a computer, flashing erratically in the dim room. _Maybe it's just the electricity in this place, _Richie thought uneasily, slowly taking another step towards the computer. _The electricity's bad, so all the lights are out. But what's going on with this?_

As if to answer, a short menu popped up in the middle of the screen, surrounded by a double border that blinked on and off in short, quick flashes.

**BILL's PC  
RICHIE's PC  
PROF. OAK's PC  
TURN OFF**

Richie blinked in confusion, feeling faint. _I'm not even a registered member of the League anymore! How can it know my name? There's no way it can! _

_Unless the League... they know I'm here. _

Head pounding, the trainer pulled away from the computer and made a wild break down the hall. The doors were no good, not if the League had planted its officers outside, waiting for him to come out. Mind and heart both racing, Richie swerved into another alcove and crouched down low, fingers pressed tightly against the rough stone wall.

The tiniest slivers of light shone through from the wall under Richie's hands. Looking closer, the trainer discerned a cracked panel carved into the cold stone, the strange engravings on its front bathed in the dim light.

_What's this? _Richie thought curiously, fingers running along the panel's length. A pair of round eyes stood out from the carving, grey as the surrounding stone but so lifelike that they seemed to sparkle. Breath bated, Richie traced the rest of the carving. Two long ears, a pert nose, chubby paws, and a lightning-bolt of a tail. Each shock of fur was finely defined, making Richie marvel at its accuracy. The carving on the door was a Pikachu, Richie's favorite Pokémon.

And as the trainer stood there, hand outstretched, the panel swung silently in, revealing a lit room on the other side. Richie's eyes, which had just been adjusting to the darkness, were now blinded. Holding up an arm to fend away the sudden flood of light, Richie took a step into the room, never noticing how the panel slammed shut as silently as it had opened.

A bulky, complex-looking contraption was bolted down in the center of the floor, its well-polished metal dome gleaming. Long pipes and twisting tubes adorned the back of the machine, hooked into so many places that following one line proved quite impossible. Richie could only stare, eyes fixated on the silver column dominating the machine's midsection, and fingers braced around the shield of clear glass that surrounded it.

The column was bare now, save for a tiny silver inscription that ran along its perimeter:

_**Time Capsule.**_

_Time Capsule? _Richie repeated silently. _I've never heard of something like this._

Tearing away from the machine and stepping reluctantly back, Richie caught a glimpse of something moving in the glass. Chancing a look to the back of the room, Richie saw nothing there. Squinting into the glass once more, the trainer saw another flicker of movement: a flash of green, then messy brown hair and blue eyes marked by dark, sickly-looking half-circles beneath them...

_It's only my reflection, _Richie thought disgustedly, turning away. And, moments later, spinning back around in shock.

A flash of yellow fur had joined the Richie-in-the-glass, bright black eyes sparkling and mouth open in an exuberant call. Laughing, Richie's reflection threw out its arms and caught the unruly-furred Pikachu as it leapt forward. As the Richie-in-the-glass swung around, the real Richie saw that the reflection had shrunk several years in age. The familiar blue and yellow cap Richie had lost along with Sparky was perched on the reflection's head. It was this cap that the Richie-in-the-glass now pulled off, placing it between the Pikachu's ears.

_Sparky, _Richie knew as the duo in the glass raced across the grass, side by side, towards a little cottage. The door was opened by a smiling woman, who ushered both of them inside to a table where a man was already seated.

_Mom? _Richie realized in disbelief, unknowingly leaning towards the glass. _Mom, Dad? Sparky? You're back! Oh, you're back!_

Richie laughed out loud as the child-in-the-glass reached for a handful of Sparky's Pokéfood pellets and crammed them into its mouth. The Pikachu made quickly for the child's plate of vegetables. _I never did like tomatoes, _Richie thought, smiling. _And you never did like PokéPellets. _

There were more pictures. Richie-in-the-glass was running up a hill, followed closely by Sparky on all fours. The child slipped suddenly, tumbling back down the incline and taking the Pikachu down with it. Both were laughing so hard that even the real Richie felt a stitch in the side coming on. And when the Sparky-in-the-glass reached up and licked the reflection's cheek, Richie half-raised a hand, before realizing that there was nothing there.

The scenes shifted now, showing the child-Richie crouching down beside a set of graves and crying. A tall man came up behind the child, putting a hand on its shoulder.

Now both of them were inside the cottage, the man yelling and the child hugging Sparky and cowering back in a corner. Still yelling, the man took a handful of coloring-book pages with crayoned Pokémon on them and crumpled all of them into a tight ball. Next, he grabbed a handful of Pokémon stuffed animals and dashed them against the side of the wall. The child-Richie watched this all with wide eyes, and when the man went for the Pikachu in its arms, the child screamed.

_You never wanted me to be a Pokémon trainer, Uncle, _Richie thought ruefully. _You said it too impractical, too dangerous. That I'd get over any wishes to be a trainer when I grew older...that my parents would have forbidden it if they were still alive. _

_I know now that you always meant best. You didn't want me to end up like Mom and Dad. You didn't want to lose me like you'd lost them._

The child-in-the-glass was scaling its way out the window and down the drainpipe, carrying a bulky backpack. Sparky, already on the ground, looked anxiously on. Richie watched as the child and Pikachu ran away from the cottage, fading away into the darkness.

_But back then, I never stopped to realize that I'd lose you, too._

The child-Richie appeared again, a little older, holding up a Gym badge proudly for everyone to see. And again, older still, shouting battle commands to a Charmander, and then a Butterfree. Richie tried to tear away as the trainer-in-the-glass hoisted up its backpack and left the Indigo Stadium, waving back all the while. But this proved impossible.

Richie was forced to watch as the trainer-in-the-glass, now exactly the right age, peeked through the window of the League HQ and witnessed a group of people in League uniforms. They had gathered up all the PokéBalls Richie had stored by PC, as well as the registration papers and Gym badges that had once belonged to Richie, and had thrown the lot into a blazing fire. The reflection ran before it could be seen, clutching at the three remaining PokéBalls in its hands.

And then there the trainer was once more, on the back of a Charizard, arms groping for a falling bundle...

Numbly, the real Richie fell against the floor, body shuddering, vaguely aware that the glass had stopped flickering. There was no strength, or the will, left to look up again. The polished, tiled floor felt so cool below. Richie wanted to cry, loudly and without restraint. But there wasn't enough energy even for that. Instead, the trainer huddled against the floor at the Time Capsule's Base, shaking and shaking.

A weight fell upon Richie's shoulder, forcing the trainer's body to steady itself. "Now you see why we only use that thing to trade Pokémon," a man's voice came from behind.

Richie turned slowly, coming face to face with a young, curly-haired man with a sad smile. The man waited for the child to stumble into a standing position before removing his hand from Richie's shoulder.

It was only then that Richie looked up, looked up and saw the pair of gray, leathery wings protruding from the man's back.

"Come with me," the winged man said, beckoning Richie forward.

Taking in a deep, steadying breath, Richie obeyed.

* * *

The sky had darkened into the deep red cast of evening, swirling into shades of purple and indigo wherever it touched the horizon. But Reena was in no mood to admire the sunset; as she neared the lighthouse cottage, she was dismayed to find the doors firmly shut and far too heavy to show a chance of budging.

"There is no way he could have gone in there," Chikai stated as it arrived, panting, behind her.

Reena's eyes rode up and down the length of the doors. They were inlaid with intricate bronze engravings of fierce-looking Pokémon, pictures ornate and intimidating enough to make her catch her breath. "He must've gotten in somehow!" she said doggedly, gesturing to the line of bootprints at her feet. "Somehow he got the doors open!"

"Or whoever's inside opened them for him," Chikai remarked with a shudder. The Pikachu craned its neck as far back as it would go, eyeing the weatherworn top of the old lighthouse, then the rugged cliffs that dropped below its base. _I've forgotten how much I hate heights, _it thought ruefully, squeezing its eyes shut and turning quickly away. Beside the Pikachu, Reena was kicking and pounding at every panel in the door, searching in vain for some kind of knob or pull.

On her shoulder, Nibbles hissed, digging its claws into Reena's shoulder until the girl cried out. "Nibbles! Stop it!" Reena shrieked, pulling the Furret from her shoulder and dumping it unceremoniously on the ground beside her feet. Teeth chattering indignantly, Nibbles wormed its way over the tops of Reena's sneakers, pressing the tip of its tail against a white button half-concealed in the sand.

The doors swung open with a groan, causing Reena to lose her balance and topple forward into a dusty red length of carpet. Dazed, she sat up in time to see the little Furret dash back towards her, eyes shining smugly. "Clever Nibbles!" Reena exclaimed, hugging the Furret against her shoulder and getting to her feet. Chikai, ears twitching attentively for the slightest sound, came in right behind Nibbles. Both it and Reena jumped as the doors slid closed behind them.

"Clever!" Chikai mocked contemptuously. "Ever so clever, locking ourselves in like this!"

"We'll find another way out," Reena said optimistically as she, Nibbles, and Chikai started down the hall. The room was pitch black, save for a flickering blue light half-hidden behind a shadowy alcove. As they drew nearer, Reena saw that the light was actually being emitted from a computer screen, a screen that blinked erratically before an all too familiar menu sprang up.

**BILL's PC  
SATOSHI's PC  
PROF. OAK's PC  
TURN OFF**

"Chikai?" she called into the darkness behind her. "Are PCs in this world supposed to know your name like they do in the game?"

There was no response, save for an agitated flick of the tail from Nibbles.

It was a stupid question, Reena determined quickly, one Chikai didn't feel the need to answer. Something was nagging insistently at the back of her mind, and on a complete impulse, she touched a finger to the screen, right against the first row of words.

The screen blinked on, then off. And stayed that way, throwing the room into total darkness.

"Chikai?" Reena called nervously, snatching her hand hastily away from the computer screen.

Nibbles's hiss echoed throughout the black room, followed by a jagged flash of lightning that shattered the air high above their heads. Reena yelped, clutching Nibbles against her shoulder, and watched the room grow dark once more. A boom of thunder sounded in the distance, followed closely by a second scintillating lightning strike that sent spots dancing giddily before her eyes.

Conglomerations of storm clouds stretched across the majority of the ceiling, illuminated briefly by each flash of lightning. Reena's breath caught in her throat as an ethereal crescent moon wavered into existence, right in the middle of the storm-ridden dome that had become the night sky.

As abrupt as it had come, the moon and storm clouds melted away, replaced by a rotating grid of Pokémon profiles.

"Well, that was unexpected," came Chikai's dry voice from the back of the room.

"Chikai!"

"I was just looking for the light switch!" the Pikachu shot back, face immersed in light from the glowing blue grid. "Somebody has a rather strange selection of buttons hidden behind their door. Ah, could this be the one?"

Reena winced as disco lights flared up around the room, accompanied by blaring music. "Oh, Chikai, just get over here and take a look at this!" she yelled, covering her ears as Nibbles started off on its heartfelt impression of a mad rabid Furret.

The music stopped as the regular lighting system flickered into use. Looking rather pleased with itself, Chikai stepped out away from the elaborate switch panel behind the door and sauntered over towards where Reena stood, arms crossed. "Well?" it demanded irritably.

Reena gestured to the computer screen at her side, back on and flickering irregularly once more. "It knows my name," she started, feeling slightly sheepish at having been so concerned over a simple computer. Especially when they still had Richie to worry about.

"Did you scan in your trainer's ID?" Chikai asked promptly, shimmying up the table to examine the screen more closely.

"Trainer's ID?" Reena's mind went blank. "You mean my PokéDex? No, I didn't even take it out."

"PCs like these were once planted in every Pokémon Center across the region, for the means of storing Pokémon, items, and such. All a trainer had to do to activate their account was to scan in their trainer's ID," Chikai said with a hint of impatience, which, to Reena, seemed more theatrical than anything else. As Chikai prodded at the screen, Reena could see that its ears were perked with curiosity. The menu disappeared, followed by an error message.

**User is not registered  
member of the PKMN  
League.**

Uttering what sounded suspiciously like curses in Pika-Pika talk, Chikai turned to Reena and snapped, "Well, what are you gawking for? Come over here!"

Gulping, Reena shuffled forward and extended a hand to the screen. Without skipping a single flicker, the message dissolved and the menu was back on the screen.

The Pikachu's black eyes grew wide, and a twisted smile tugged at the corners of its mouth. "The first option," Chikai urged eagerly. "Select the first option!"

Reena reached a single finger towards the pulsing words "BILL's PC." As soon as her skin made contact, a second menu took the place of the first.

**WITHDRAW PKMN  
DEPOSIT PKMN  
CHANGE BOX  
MOVE PKMN W/O MAIL  
SEE YA!**

"Chikai," she said softly. "This is just like..."

But the Pikachu showed no signs of listening to her. "The first option, Satoshi!" it instructed briskly. "And hurry it up a bit, would you?"

Reena shook her head in confusion. "I never caught any Pokémon besides Nibbles!" she protested. "I don't have any Pokémon to withdraw!"

"We've prepared for your arrival a bit more thoroughly than that," Chikai sniffed. "Though I must say we never expected the League to shut down all use of these PC systems; some nonsense about storing illegal items and such. The survival of this system itself is truly remarkable, especially if it means we will be able to recover..."

The Pikachu's voice broke off as a new menu flashed onto the screen, headed by the words "BOX 1." This time, there was only one option displayed.

REBELLE.

Chikai gave a cry of triumph. "It's still here!" it shouted, jumping up and down with uncontainable anticipation. "Quick, Satoshi! Withdraw it!"

Reena didn't have to be told twice. Pressing her fingers to the sole option and selecting "WITHDRAW" from the set of choices that followed, she held her breath, not knowing what to expect next.

A ball of red light materialized in the middle of the screen. The computer whirred busily as the light grew steadily larger and more substantial, seeming to rise out of the screen itself. In a matter of seconds, the ball snapped together solidly, turning the usual red-and-white. With an electronic beep, the computer ejected the ball completely. It fell from the air and hit the floor with a smack, rolling past Reena's feet.

Chikai fell to all fours and dashed after the ball, looking uncharacteristically pleased by the turn of events. "You may just have a chance now, Satoshi," it began with a grin, picking the PokéBall up with its stout little paws.

Reena wasn't listening. She was watching as the fur on Nibble's tiny back rose, its owner hissing lowly.

A round, glowing set of eyes was peering out from below the PC desk. They darted about for a moment before resting on Reena and Chikai.

"What is it?" Chikai snapped as a sharp crackling sounded from under the desk. All around the room, similar crackles arose in response to the first. And as the creature under the desk crawled out, flat-shelled and beady-eyed, Reena could see what had been making the noise.

An ugly set of scythes, which gleamed silver in the light.

"Kabutops?" Reena managed as similar creatures emerged from their hiding places around the room, blades clicking to a strange beat.

Chikai yelped, ducking one creature's blades landed inches from the PokéBall in its paws. "Of course!" it groaned. "I should have realized there would have been wards set up around that system! Alarms, set to trigger sentries as soon as a withdrawal was made!" The Pikachu groaned once again, jumping nimbly to the side as another Kabotops struck in its direction. "This lighthouse, I recognized it immediately from the inscriptions on the doors," it bemoaned, squeezing forward to join her. "It belongs to Bill, a famous Pokémon researcher who specializes in ancient Pokémon."

"But Kabutops are extinct, aren't they?" Reena cried, hugging Nibbles and backing away against the wall. "At least, in the game..."

She bit her lip at this, remembering full well how extinct Pokémon in the game could be revived from ancient fossils.

The Kabutops from under the desk clacked its scythes menacingly at Reena. With a snarl, Nibbles bounded forward, throwing its tiny body onto the Pokémon's head.

Reena screamed as something tugged at her sleeve, but it was only Chikai, holding up the PokéBall in its paws. "Hurry up, would you?" it snapped, shoving it into her hands.

With a nod, Reena crossed her fingers and pitched the PokéBall into the teaming sea of Kabutops.

* * *

"So the Time Capsule trades Pokémon with the past?" Richie asked, looking away from the ocean water below and into the face of the young man. The cool evening air that swirled about the lighthouse balcony had both refreshed and strengthened Richie enough to speak at last.

The winged man inclined his head in a small nod. "I invented the Time Capsule myself, for that very purpose," he explained, gazing out onto the shimmering water as Richie had done moments before. "But I later discovered that the Capsule served other purposes as well, purposes that you have already utilized, if I'm not mistaken."

"When I looked into the glass, I saw my family and friends," Richie said softly. "And I lost them all over again."

"All you saw was your own past, reflected back at you," the man answered, running a hand through his curly hair. "The Time Capsule pulls snippets from your greatest losses and triumphs. Memories you want to cherish forever and things you try to forget you ever knew."

"Things that you can never change," Richie said with an unconscious bitterness.

"True," the man replied. "Things we cannot change." Leaning against the edge of the railing, Richie watched agape as the man's leathery wings snapped outwards with a dry crack. "These wings you see," the man said, "were the results of a mistake with my experimental teleporter and an old Aerodactyl fossil. You wouldn't believe everything I've tried to get rid of them, but here they are." The man's face cracked into a strange grin. "But really, there's nothing wrong with having wings. Especially if it means that you can fly."

Richie gasped as the man threw himself over the railing, plunging deep into the shadows below. Running to the edge of the platform, the trainer peered anxiously into the chaotic foam of the waters below. A sudden whoosh of wind filled the air, and a pair of broad leathery wings shot up from the darkness. Richie watched in wonderment as their owner rocketed into the night sky, wheeling in sharp circles above the pinnacle of the lighthouse.

"You know, child," the winged man told Richie, coming down to hover behind the railing. "Some say when a person is about to die, their entire life flashes before their eyes."

"Maybe," Richie said in a very small voice, hands tightening on the railing. "Maybe that's why some of them die right then and there."

The winged man gave Richie a strange, unreadable look. "Do you really think so?" he asked quietly. "For each of us, there are lessons to learn in our lives. Things to search for that cannot be found without pain. Must this pain, harsh as it may be, cost us our lives?"

Something wet prickled again Richie's cheek, something that the trainer did not bother to wipe away. _It's strange, really, _Richie thought, watching as dark, wet blotches appeared on the railing below. _I was so much sadder before, and I wasn't able to cry then. _"My uncle used to say that what we don't die from makes us stronger," Richie said finally, not looking up. "That the important thing was to keep moving on, as long as you had the strength."

"Your uncle was a fighter."

Richie nodded. "It was never as easy as that," the trainer said sadly, tiredly. "Lots of times I wondered if I've run out of strength yet; if it'd be okay for me to stop, even for just a little while. I can still walk on, I can still keep breathing, but sometimes I get so tired inside I just don't know anymore. Am I supposed to spend my entire life fighting? Just fighting and moving on to the next battle?"

"No one was ever _supposed_ to do anything," the winged man answered. "Everything you do, each decision you make...they are what form your life. Though everything may not be in your hands, a great deal still depends on you alone. No one can take that away from you, do you understand?"

Richie managed a shaky smile. "I hope."

"Good," the winged man said. "You're too young to be so worn-out already. It's disconcerting for the rest of us. Now, about the Time Capsule..."

"Please, sir," Richie said softly. "But I'd rather not talk about that again."

The winged man waved an impatient hand at Richie before reaching into a pocket. "It's nothing about that," he said, pulling out a handful of small round objects that glittered in the light of the setting sun. "Remember what I told you before about being able to trade Pokémon from the past?"

Richie watched in amazement as the man held out the shrunken PokéBalls. On each one was emblazoned a small colored star, Richie's own special symbol. "But that's impossible," Richie started breathlessly. "I saw those PokéBalls burned with my own eyes."

"Or so you thought!" the winged man chuckled, pressing the PokéBalls into Richie's gloved hands. "No, I'm afraid the ones you saw burning were just empty PokéBalls. I used my Time Capsule to trade for the real ones as soon as I saw you coming."

"What about Sparky? Can't you...?"

The man shook his head sadly, wings furling and unfurling anxiously behind his back. "I'm afraid not," he said, cutting Richie off. "As long as your friend still exists in this time, there is no way to retrieve it from the past. I'm sorry, Richie."

The trainer choked on a lungful of salty air. "You know my name?"

"I am Bill, Keeper of the Lighthouse," the winged man said kindly, extending a hand towards Richie. "And of course I recognized you; your Wanted posters were all over the place a couple days ago."

Richie flushed, pocketing the PokéBalls quickly. "Why are you helping me, then? Giving me my PokéBalls back like this? I can't tell you how grateful I am, but please. Why did you do it?"

Bill raised his eyebrows questioningly at Richie. "You might ask your friend, young Satoshi, the same thing," he said. "Taking in a fugitive trainer and giving them trainer's immunity? Why did he do something like that?"

_Do I still have trainer's immunity? _Richie thought sadly, remembering the deserted campsite. _Is Satoshi still my friend?_

A piercing squeal shattered Richie's thoughts. Looking up, the trainer caught a dazzling glimpse of the lighthouse's sweeping beam. It had turned a bright red now, and was pulsating at quick intervals.

Bill's mouth twisted into a sad smile. "Looks like we have an intruder," he remarked, starting back down the winding lighthouse stairs. Richie followed anxiously, watching as Bill flicked on a nearby monitor and nodded knowingly.

A ring of beady-eyed Kabutops had appeared around the perimeter of the entry room Richie had previously been in, appearing as dark stains against the gilded gold walls and red carpet. And standing against the wall, fearfully clutching a PokéBall in his hand, was none other than Satoshi Golden.

* * *

Reena gasped as the PokéBall flew open in a blaze of fiery red light. Flattening herself against the wall, she strained for a glimpse of "REBELLE" through the thick mass of Kabutops scythes.

A shrill cry sounded at the other end of the room. Immediately afterwards, a ring of sharp darts shot across the air, knocking down an entire line of Kabutops. Eyes blazing like miniature rubies in the Pokémon's small face, a nimble Chikorita bounded forward, the glossy green leaf on its head spewing forth a second round of Razor Leafs at the advancing Pokémon.

"We thought it would be a good idea to get you one of the starter Pokémon," Chikai explained, still sounding smug. "Rebelle was rejected from the Johto trainer program for being overly rough with the new trainers. I am convinced it will do perfectly as your first _real _Pokémon." The Pikachu glanced pointedly at Nibbles, who was scratching unsuccessfully at the Kabutops's rock-like shell.

Reena squeaked, hugging her knees against her body. What was one Chikorita against a whole legion of Kabutops? She couldn't bear to watch as the poor little Grass Pokémon hurtled its small body against the nearest assailant, vine whips flailing.

And knocked it right down with a metallic crunch.

"The Kabutops!" she exclaimed, rising to her feet. "They've...they've stopped moving!"

All around the room, the Kabutops were freezing in place, restrained by invisible ropes until they became no more than grotesque statues.

And at the front of the room, a set of doors burst open. "Chikai! Satoshi!" Richie's voice rang out through the huge domed room. From his position beside a large, brawny Blastoise that Reena had never seen before, Richie dashed forward, catching the tip of his foot on the edge of the carpet.

"Clumsy, aren't we?" Chikai remarked underneath its breath, tail twitching amusedly.

"Clumsy, that's right, Chikai," Richie said with a grin, picking himself up from the floor. "Clumsy."

* * *

Chikai was visibly less complacent as the reunited companions waved good-bye to the Keeper of the Lighthouse and started down the beach amid the bright morning sun.

"Oh, Chikai, you don't have to be all upset!" Reena remarked cheerfully. "There was no way you could've known that those Kabutops were actually robots set up by Bill as part of his security system. Besides, we got out of that just fine after Bill deactivated them all."

The bounce was back in her step, and with Nibbles around her neck and the PokéBall of Rebelle the Chikorita tucked safely in her pocket, Reena was feeling the sprightliest she had ever been since her arrival in the Pokémon world.

"I just built those robots to see how prehistoric Pokémon might have behaved when they were still alive," Chikai mimicked sourly. "Honestly, I don't think he would have cared if those _experiments _of his chopped us all into bouillon cubes, as long as he could study our marred remains! That man is a menace! No wonder they keep him locked away in that place! Look what he did to himself!

"I wish I had wings," Reena said dreamily. "It must be so cool to fly."

"Lighten up, Chikai," Richie advised gently. "Bill was hospitable enough towards us. Even after you spilled ketchup all over his second teleporter prototype during dinner last night."

Chikai scowled as both children broke into laughter, most of its undiluted venom directed towards Richie. Chikai had suspected Richie had known its secret ever since that midnight conversation where he had pointed out Chikai's scars-the double Xs reserved only for Pokémon who had committed Class Three felonies and been somehow pardoned. For Pikachu, Chikai supposed, it was done to the cheek pouches. For other Pokémon, eyes were considered worthy replacements, or perhaps...

Chikai shuddered, pushing this thought from its head with its usual means of respite, a sharp tongue lashing.

"It was bad enough when only one of you knew I could talk back!" it glared. "Now with both of you stepping on my tail...ouch! Satoshi, you incompetent tyro! That was only a figure of speech!"

Laughing again, Richie felt vaguely light-headed. Maybe it was from that haircut attempted late last night (Richie didn't want to take the chance of being recognized by someone less friendly than Bill), but the trainer doubted it.

Richie reached one hand into a pocket and fingered the PokéBalls that now filled its interior. _It's good to have you back, guys, _Richie thought silently as they walked on. _If I get Sparky back, it'll be happy to see you, too. _

Remembering Bill's words, Richie nodded decisively, hand tightening around the PokéBalls. _When I get Sparky back. When._

* * *

_"There's a lot for us to look for, inside and outside ourselves. There's meaning for every creature, a meaning for all the Pokémon and a meaning for us humans, too."_

**-Bill, Kanto Research Authority**

* * *

**_Notes: _**_PC screens, Bill's teleporter, and the Time Capsule were taken directly from the game (G/S, I think?). Casey the Electabuzz girl, on the other hand, is from the anime...I actually don't think I need a footnote for her since she's pretty popular._

_Gah, words do not describe how much I hate this chapter (why is it so long if I don't like it...I do not know). It should really be rewritten (as should most of this fic), but I'm far too lazy. (excuses excuses)_


	7. BLUE

**6. BLUE**

* * *

_"Only amateurs show off their Pokémon. If I were gonna show something off, it'd be my personal fanclub."_

* * *

_"I was beginning to think everyone had forgotten about me. You can't imagine what it's like in there - so dark, so quiet, so...empty. It would drive anyone mad."_

_"Luck was all there was to it, you realize. The power of sheer luck-it makes me wonder about that outsider...as if there's more going for her than there should be."_

_"That's good, isn't it? She's on our side, after all."_

_"She's ignorant. She still does not realize why she was brought here in the first place. It's when they get smart that they turn on you. And that boy, he worries me. He knows too much for his own good. Just keep your mouth shut; it's already bad enough that they know about me."_

_"Paranoid still? I'm surprised you volunteered to do this again in the first place...after what happened with the last one."_

_"Maybe that's actually why I'm doing it again."_

* * *

Richie grinned encouragingly as his Blastoise fell back into a withdrawal, limbs disappearing into its durable shell. On the other end of the grassy hilltop, Reena bit her lip, concentrating intently on the battle before her.

"Rebelle!" she called loudly. "Use...use a...darn it! It's so much easier when you've got a list of attacks to choose from. And a HP gauge," she added wistfully, eyeing Richie's immobile Blastoise with a sinking feeling.

Chikai sniffed indignantly. "Real Pokémon trainers can tell how weak their opponent is without relying on such absurd things," it retorted. "HP counters and PP counts! Honestly, Satoshi! All you need to know is how experienced your Pokémon and your opponent's Pokémon are respectively."

"Well, I'd like to see you giving the orders!" Reena sighed, frustration making her increasingly snappish. "Rebelle, use Leech Seed!"

"Chiko!" the Pokémon cried as it bounded back up the hill, the leaf upon its head spinning into a wild blur. Tiny brown seeds sprang forth from around its neck and shot in the Blastoise's direction. Reena watched, eyes wide, as the seeds planted themselves atop the Pokémon's broad back. Within moments, thick leafy vines were entwined around the Blastoise's silvery cannons and mud-colored shell, anchoring it firmly to the side of the hill.

"Leech Seed does that?" Reena mumbled to herself, sinking onto the grass and sighing. "Wait, Chikorita has Leech Seed?"

"Better start taking notes," Chikai said dryly. "You'll find a lot of Pokémon and attacks are quite different from their game counterparts."

"Mental note to myself: Chikorita has Leech Seed," Reena repeated, holding a hand to her forehead. "How am I going to remember all of this when I'm in a real battle?"

"Relax, you're doing fine!" Richie called, plying the vines from around his Blastoise's shell and running up towards them. "Blastoise are pretty powerful Water Pokémon, you know. And you beat Chel twice already! Ah, cut it out, Chel! It was nothing against you!" he laughed as the Blastoise batted a claw at his head.

"You were going really, really easy on me," Reena said unhappily, shredding a piece of grass morosely in her hands. "The Cerulean City Gym Leader's not gonna do that."

"You're doing well for a beginner," Richie said confidently. "Don't worry - the Gym Leader won't go that hard on you."

Chikai rolled its round black eyes. "Are you always so sickeningly optimistic?" it demanded Richie. Perched atop Reena's slumped shoulders, Nibbles chattered in agreement.

The trainer gave the Pikachu a sunny thumbs-up sign. "A Pokémon trainer once told me..."

"Don't tell me," Chikai said, tail twitching with great feeling. "I know that trainer must have died young."

"Chiko?" Rebelle said hesitantly, batting a leaf concernedly at Reena's knee. "Chi-chikori?"

"I don't care how good I am for a beginner!" Reena proclaimed angrily, starting to her feet and brushing at the grass stains on her sleeves. "I want to be good enough to beat a Gym Leader! I have to be good enough to defeat the Champion!"

Her cries sent Nibbles scampering for cover and startled a nearby flock of Spearow into flight. Cawing loudly, they took off in a flurry of dun wings and bright red bodies. Reena watched them flap awkwardly into the air, feathers framed against the brightness of the clear sky, before they became too small to discern.

"You have a lot of time to get better," Richie said softly from behind her. "There's plenty of time to learn more."

To her surprise, Reena found hot tears sliding down her cheeks and falling into the grass. Hastily, she swiped at them with the back of her hand, choking on the remainder. "I just really...really need to win, as soon as I can," she said hoarsely, feeling pathetically lame. It was one thing to be away from home a couple days, discovering that her wildest, farthest-flung dreams were rooted in reality. It was quite another to realize that she might never return home after all.

Reena had always thought of the Pokémon game as an enjoyable pastime, the frequent battles gratifyingly challenging, the many creatures and their attacks interesting to master. Now, playing for much higher stakes, Reena felt as if someone were slowly squeezing her head with a vise.

"I guess I'm not getting any better like this," she said finally, taking a deep breath of the cool air that graced the grassy hillside. "There's only one way to get better."

"Chiko?" Rebelle chirped, voice raising at the end of its remark in an inquiring inflection.

"We need to keep on battling," Reena said determinedly to her Pokémon. "I need to learn your attacks. Every single one of them. And I need to get used to judging these battles better by eye."

"I did warn you this wouldn't be easy," Chikai sniffed.

Richie smiled, pulling another PokéBall from his pocket. "Well, I guess my Pokémon could use the opportunity to get out," he said brightly.

The next few days became a flurry of constant battles and movement. By the time the group had reached the final hill overlooking Cerulean City, Richie was well into his appraisals and instructions, every bit the coach that he had promised to be.

"Look, you see how Happy's wings are now?" he called at Reena during their final battle over Cerulean City. "The part of the wing closest to Happy's body moves up and down, while the outside part moves in circles to propel it forward. A perfect balance! The same's true for most Flying Pokémon. Do something to disrupt that balance, just nick 'em a bit right there, and you disorient them enough to...there, see! You've got it!"

Rebelle's Razor Leaf zoomed through the air like a streamlined dart, tapping Richie's Butterfree on one wing. The Butterfree wavered a bit in the air, giving the Chikorita enough time to knock it spiraling down with a vine whip.

"You're going to do just great at the Cerulean Gym," Richie reassured Reena as the group mounted that last hillside. "And even if you lose, it's not like you can't try again."

"Meanwhile, the rest of us will just try to have a good time," Chikai said dryly. "Right now, I can only dream of rice balls, ketchup, and a warm, comfy heater. Who wants to camp outside when we can eat the Pokémon Center out of business? Not I, for one."

Reena smiled at the two of them. Richie was trying so hard to restore her confidence, even when he didn't look so great himself. The bags were still under Richie's eyes, and no matter how much time they spent in the sun, he always seemed just a bit too pale. _The sooner I beat this League, the better, _she thought fiercely.

Out loud, she cleared her throat and laughed along with the rest of them like nothing was wrong.

"Maybe we'll see your friend, the Electabuzz fan," she told Richie. "She did say she would be in Cerulean Stadium or something like that, didn't she, Chikai?"

Richie, who had been in the process of giving Rebelle a pat on the leaf, suddenly grew very quiet.

"Oh yeah." Reena flushed sheepishly. "I guess I didn't tell you about meeting her, back when we were looking for you in the forest."

"So you've met Casey?" Richie said, regaining his voice with an easy laugh.

"We were ambushed by a singing girl with a bat," Chikai acknowledged. "Close enough?"

Richie grinned at this memorable mental image. "Tell me, Satoshi. Did she hit you on the head with her whackie bat?"

"Whackie bat?" Chikai squawked, ears jerking up.

Richie looked slightly apologetic. "That's what she calls it."

Reena winced at the memory. "Three times she hit me with that thing. As if once wasn't enough."

"Do you remember what she said...about the Electabuzz team?" Richie asked her carefully. "She must have said something. Casey and I are huge fans."

"Baseball," Reena grimaced, making a face. "Can't remember a thing about it. Sorry, Richie, I didn't think you'd care so much."

"Well, can't say I blame you," Richie said, hiding heavy disappointment behind a light smile. "Not everyone thinks the Electabuzz are so great. Not by a long shot." Picking up the pace, Richie trotted the rest of the way down the hill, past the weathered wood sign proclaiming the city's name and up the wide, beaten dirt path that led to the Cerulean City gates.

"I might remember a bit of what your friend Casey was babbling on about," Chikai's voice drifted up from the side. Richie glanced down at the Pikachu, who was bounding close behind on all fours.

"Really, Chikai?" Richie exclaimed with interest. "That would be so great if you could tell me! The Electabuzz are the coolest team, you know! I just can't stand the suspense of not knowing about their latest game!"

Chikai's black eyes glittered as it recited Casey's words, pert mouth twisting into a little smirk that Richie definitely did not find favorable. "I'm watching you, boy," the Pikachu hissed, so quietly Richie barely caught its words. "And if you think for a moment that I actually believe this nonsense over your silly baseball team, you'll be sorely disappointed."

Richie gave Chikai a puzzled look, then an innocent smile. "Thanks anyway, Chikai," the trainer said, bright blue eyes shining in his pale face. "Thanks."

"Richie, Chikai, what's keeping you guys! Hurry up, we're almost there!"

Chikai watched discontentedly as Richie and Reena raced down the hill side by side, neither pulling very far beyond the other. "Chikai, come on!" Reena cried, waving a hand in the Pikachu's direction.

Flicking its tail, Chikai pushed away its suspicions and went bounding down after them.

* * *

While Satoshi and Chikai busied themselves checking out the Cerulean City Gym, Richie swiftly melted into the crowd, armed with the excuse of finding the gang a decent lunch stop. Richie could probably be gone the entire morning without Satoshi noticing; he was far too worried about his upcoming Gym battle to pay much mind to anything else.

_I never thought I'd ever get so excited about Pokémon battles again, much less be a coach to another trainer, _Richie thought with a smile. _I didn't think I'd ever be involved in Pokémon again, not when they took away my license and my Pokémon. But things are going to be different now._

But Chikai, that was someone to watch for. Even now, Richie's eyes darted into deserted alleyways and crowded streets, half-expecting to find the Pikachu sneaking along behind. But that was unnecessary. Chikai stuck by Satoshi closer than a Shelldar to a Slowpoke tail. Bicker as they might, it'd take more than a pair of pliers to pry those two apart. Richie still couldn't be sure whether Chikai never left Satoshi's side because it was truly loyal, or because it was afraid the inexperienced trainer might screw something up otherwise.

_The team's playing against the Magikarp in Cerulean Stadium_, Casey had said, according to Chikai._ They just got a man on first, but the next batter's gonna have to step up to the plate and hit it past the four 'Karps eyeing second!_

Glancing back to check the location of the Cerulean Gym, Richie trotted two streets south, rounding the corner and walking four more buildings in. Ironically enough, the prearranged destination was a small crowded café, nearly hidden between the two buildings sandwiched around it.

The door eased open with a musical chime, but no one inside seemed to notice. Richie dodged jutting elbows and edged through the chattering crowds with a sincere grin and a polite "Please excuse me." Making it to the cashier's desk at last, Richie put on an easy smile and asked the cashier where the trainer with the yellow-and-black Pokémon was seated; they had arranged a trading deal beforehand and Richie was ever so confused as to where to other trainer might be.

The lady pointed to a corner booth away from the windows, muttering something along the lines of "boys will be boys." Richie was out of sight and headed in the direction of the indicated booth before she even had time to turn around.

The only occupant of the booth was a figure of undistinguishable age swathed between the layers of a mud-colored cloak. It inclined its head towards Richie as the second trainer approached, sliding into the seat opposite its own.

"You a fan of the Electabuzz team?" the person in the cloak asked Richie, taking a long swig of the dark, carbonated drink in its hand. Small, clear bubbles rose to the surface in a thick foam before fizzing out.

Richie nodded. "Black and yellow. I'm black and yellow all the way."

For a moment, the trainer thought the glint of a smile flashed somewhere beneath that voluminous hood. The figure set down its drink and pulled a slender silver canister from its cloak.

"You must be Richie, then," it said as Richie took the canister and wrenched it open.

"That's what the Coach calls me, yes," Richie replied, easing out a rolled-up newspaper and flattening it upon the table. Richie didn't especially like that nickname, a play on the last name of Richardson. But Richie was never one to argue, especially not with the Coach. It had been surprising enough to discover Satoshi knew that old nickname, much less used it. But Satoshi couldn't be part of the team, not when he had failed to recognize the significance of Casey's message and the three whackie-bat poundings he had received.

Richie smiled inwardly, remembering full well Casey's shrill voice and flailing bat. "Three strikes and you're outta there!" she had drilled, smacking Richie repeatedly until the point got painfully across. " 'Cause the only way you're gonna get three strikes is if you gotta get moving. Fast!"

For now, Richie blocked out the raucous noises of clattering forks and sliding plates, focusing all thoughts on the newspaper clipping.

* * *

**_Prisoner on the run from League officials_**

_A recent breakout at Cerulean Island Prison has League officials searching for escapee Gary Oak, a former trainer stripped of his Pokémon license one year ago. __Reports allegedly describe an explosion that left a large, craterlike hole in one of Oak's cell walls. The cause of the explosion is still under investigation._

_"Many people know Cerulean Island Prison by its infamous nickname: the Unknown Dungeon," says warden Officer Jenny Junsa. "The Prison once housed numerous highly-evolved Pokémon, none of which could have made so much as a dent in those walls. Who knows how that wall exploded? Wild Pokémon were cleansed from the Prison years ago, and Gary Oak, of course, had no Pokémon with him."_

_There was question as to whether Oak had survived the blast, until the words "Smell you later, losers!" were found scrawled upon the remaining sides of the cell. Officials say there is no doubt that Gary Oak is alive and on the run. __Trainers and civilians alike are warned that Oak may still be in the Kanto region, possibly armed and very dangerous. Anyone with information concerning the whereabouts of Gary Oak should contact the League immediately._

* * *

Looking up at last, Richie caught sight of the cloaked figure's lower face, mouth most definitely curved into a smirking grin. "That line always gets me," the figure said in a wry voice. "'Possibly armed and very dangerous,' what do they think I'm going to do - take a Pokémon Center by siege and blow up the League HQ before I make my big getaway?"

Richie stifled a gasp of surprise as a lithe, velvety-furred Umbreon popped up from under the booth table, stretching like a sleepy kitten before taking a seat by the trainer in the cloak. Its bright red gaze fell upon Richie's face, never blinking, before the Pokémon gave a small yip of acknowledgment.

"That's right, Blacky," Gary Oak said, patting his Umbreon on the back. "Name's Blue, by the way," he added, extending a hand towards the other trainer. "We're Blue and Black, like that nasty bruise disfiguring your arm."

Richie snuck a look; there was nothing there, of course, which only made Blue's smirk widen. "Now you, you don't look like a Richie," he went on, folding his hands in front of him and planting his elbows on the table. "You're more like a Green." He stared pointedly at Richie's outfit, which was nearly all the color in question. "Color-coordination could work wonders for your image, you know."

Richie forced a smile before Blue could add to his growing collection of snide remarks. "I didn't know the Coach was taking on escaped prisoners," the trainer said carefully.

"Now _you_ should talk," Blue retorted, leaning back in his seat. His Umbreon put its paws on the table, still staring unnervingly at Richie. "The whole East region knows about you now! Trainer's immunity, how lucky can you get? I was always more of a loner myself, but we can't all be more like me, I suppose."

"No," Richie said feelingly. "I guess not."

Blue straightened, a smirk still playing about his mouth. "You know, I didn't think I was going to like you," he said in a very nonchalant manner. "But you're really grinding my teeth here. No, don't go looking all sorry like that. 'Excuse me, sir' and 'pardon me, ma'am'! For Champion's sake, why don't you just tell me I'm being a pain in the neck?" His grin broadened. "It's an art I've spent my life trying to perfect, after all."

Richie ignored him, looking at Blacky. The Umbreon had ducked its head now, shy maybe, paws still folded neatly over the table before it. For the first time, Richie noticed how skinny the Pokémon was. Its jet fur shone with good grooming-Gary Oak had never been the kind of trainer to let his Pokémon look shabby-but what Richie had taken for litheness on first impression looked awfully more like malnutrition closer up.

It was impossible to tell whether Blue himself was any better off, not when he had hidden himself under heavy cloaks and sharp-tongued remarks. But, if anything, Richie knew, Gary Oak was probably even worse off than his Pokémon. Being here, after all, was almost suicidal in itself.

"How did you get out?" Richie said quietly, still looking only at Blacky. "No one's ever broken out of the Unknown Dungeon. Your Umbreon couldn't have done it...if it was even with you in the first place."

Blue took his seat, breathing a bit more heavily that he might have, and stroked his Umbreon lightly on the head. "Out of all the crazy things that Dungeon ever drove me to do, dragging my best friend in there was not one of them. Blacky here chilled it out with Gramps in Pallet. Doesn't look like the old geezer fed him too well; the Lab's been going through another round of budget cuts."

"Your grandfather took care of your Pokémon after you were arrested?"

"No, Green, you Slowpoke!" Blue slammed his drink into the table, sending flecks of fizzing liquid flying into the air. "I sent my poor Pokés to some half-baked daycare service, where they starved them all! Now, which version of the story does little Richie want to believe? No matter which one you choose, you're not going to have Rapidash and rainbows!"

Richie didn't smile this time. "You think I've never seen a Pokémon mistreated before?"

"You? _You've_ probably seen much worse, but that's not what scares me. It's that sunny, brainless little smile you've always got plastered on your face."

Richie concentrated hard on the bubbles rising from Blue's drink as they wound their way to the surface one by one, popping without so much as a sound. _It's okay to let it rise. It's okay to get it out of your system, _Richie repeated silently. _But not now. Not here. He's just trying to goad you. He's just trying to see how much he can twist before it breaks._

"Don't you ever want to scream?" Blue demanded, half-standing in his seat, cape-draped arms bracing like iron girders against the surface of the booth. "People like you, Green-the ones who bottle everything up inside-they're the ones you've got to watch...never know when they're gonna blow..."

"You still haven't answered my question, you know," Richie broke in, cutting Blue off rather sharply. "How did you escape from the Unknown Dungeon? There's no way you could have blasted through that wall by yourself, and there's no way any Pokémon could've done it, either. If there were any Pokémon in there in the first place."

Blue drummed his fingers on the table, surprising Richie by tightening his mouth into an unreadable expression so much unlike his customary smirk. "That's what they say," he replied shortly. "That's what they want everyone to believe, that they pulled every wild Pokémon outta that place, kicking and screaming, years ago."

"What's down there then, Blue? Even wild Pokémon couldn't have blown up the walls."

"Who said anything about wild Pokémon?" Blue shot back, shuddering. "There are things in that place, Green, that even the most whacked-out Pokémon trainer's never seen in their wildest dream arenas." Blacky, sensing its trainer's distress, nuzzled its nose into Blue's hand. It wagged its floppy tail hopefully as Blue took a long swig of drink to steady himself.

"It was waiting for me ever since I got taken down there," Blue said at last, lowering his cup. "When it first spoke to me, I thought I was going insane. It was always there, waiting in my head. Just waiting. Most of the time, it never talked. But I knew it was there, and that was enough." He chuckled nervously. Richie had never heard Gary Oak sound unruffled, much less nervous.

"It broke me out for a reason, you know," Blue continued. "Heck, it could've blown up the whole place if it wanted to. But that would be far too risky, attract too much attention. No, it chose me because I could do something it wanted."

"Gary..." Richie said worriedly, forgetting momentarily that they weren't supposed to be using real names, that Gary could be caught.

Blue's mouth curved into a smile, as cocky as the one he had worn on the day of that one battle years ago. "Remember that match we had at the League against each other?" he said, voicing Richie's thoughts.

"The one I won." There was no malice in Richie's voice, just flatness.

"Sure," Blue laughed. "If that's the only thing you remember about it, go ahead and rub it in my face. It'll give you an even better idea of how much what I'm about to do is gonna to hurt."

"Umbre'on," Blacky said in a soft, melodious growl, laying a petite paw over its trainer's hand.

Blue took a deep breath and rolled his face heavenward. "Champion knows how it pains me to do this," he lamented to the ceiling above. "Green, Richie, Pikachu-kid, whatever your darn name is, I need your help."

Richie stared at Blue incredulously for several moments before breaking up into uncontrollable laughter.

Blue looked rather offended underneath the folds of his hooded cloak. "Oh sure," he grumped. "Laugh all you want. My finger can do the pointing part."

"Three tries!" Richie gasped, trying unsuccessfully to regain control. "Three tries, and you still couldn't guess my real name!"

"Next he'll be dancing around campfires and stealing babies," Blue muttered to Blacky. "Listen, I don't care what the heck your name is! If I did, believe me, I'd have thought up a dozen not-so-flattering variations by now. And, hey, you can quit laughing already. You wouldn't believe how much you sound like a girl when you laugh."

Richie shut up and scowled. "You said you wanted my help."

Blue folded his arms smugly. "Not me, actually," he replied. "It's Blacky. It says it wants your phone number, but is too shy to ask."

With a frustrated sigh, Richie bolted out of the booth, knocking Blue's drink down with an elbow. Blue watched emotionlessly as the liquid spread into a dark fizzy puddle atop the table, slowly dripping over the side and onto the tiled floor. "Hey, Green..." he started, but Richie was already shoving past the other customers, stalking out the door without a backwards glance.

Blue found the other trainer in the adjacent alleyway, leaning against the wall, bent nearly double. He and Blacky stood mutely to the side as Richie coughed up the morning's breakfast, body trembling like a leaf in the wind with every gag.

"How long have you been like this?" Blue said as Richie looked up at last, pale face flushed, still coughing into one hand.

"It's...no...big deal," the second trainer replied fiercely.

Blue was silent as Richie removed the hand, which was now stained with drops of blood. "A lot of the trainers who gotten taken into the Dungeon said the same exact thing," Blue shrugged at last, pulling his cape tighter around his arms, shivering at some non-existent wind that had suddenly swept through the alley. "Getting their Pokémon taken away, their reputations as trainers destroyed, it was all _no big deal_."

Blue's hand had found Blacky's furred shoulder and leaned against it for support. "Listen, Green, you're a heck of a lot luckier than us," he said sharply, almost bitterly. "You've got that greenhorn kid and his electric rat willing to watch your back. You don't have to run anymore, not as long as you have idiots like that behind you."

"I know," Richie said, absentmindedly wiping the blood against the brick wall of the building.

"Trainers all over the regions have been disappearing for the last year," Blue went on. "Hounded down by the League, like you and me. When I was in that lousy Dungeon, eating worms out of holes and licking spit off the walls, for Champion's sake, that voice came to me. There's a reason it got me out of that place, and that was so I could find some way to keep other trainers from coming in!"

Blacky's eyes were blazing red now, and the golden rings on its flank and forehead were shining with the same fervor as its trainer's voice.

"Green, I can't flaunt my pretty little face around here without getting carted off," Blue said, voice growing softer. "You're the only one left who knows what's happening to us and has a chance to do something about it!"

"All those trainers," Richie whispered. "All those trainers, hunted down and put into the Dungeon. But I don't understand, Blue. Why were we chosen? Why were we singled out from all the others?"

"Find out!" Blue roared, knuckles turning white around Blacky's shoulder. "You're the only one who can, now."

"What about you and Blacky?"

Blue sighed, his grip on the Umbreon loosening. "Blacky and I are going on a permanent cruise trip to the Orange Islands," he said shortly, flipping the corner of his cape swiftly over the Umbreon's body. "Like I said, I can't show my pretty little face around here without getting carted off. In other words, you're on your own, Green. Happy hunting, and don't let that bonehead with the electric rat ditch you for someone who _isn't_ gonna get him killed one of these days."

Richie watched as Gary Oak swerved about and started down the alleyway with a slow, measured walk so much unlike his usual swagger. "Blue?" Richie called, unable to hold back.

Gary didn't bother to turn around. His cape flapped behind him as he walked, forcing Blacky to keep up for the sake of not getting its paws tangled in the thick folds.

"When you come back to Kanto, we should have a rematch," Richie said brightly, much more so than the trainer actually felt. "Three-on-three, at the Indigo Stadium. I'll look forward to seeing you there."

Richie thought Blue might have grunted in response, but it might as well have been the clumping of his boots on the cement as he rounded the corner and disappeared from sight.

* * *

_"Only amateurs show off their Pokémon. If I were gonna show something off, it'd be my personal fanclub."_

**-Gary Oak, Viridian City Gym Leader**

* * *

__

**_Notes: _**_Although the color names are the same, they don't refer to the same characters as in the _Pokémon Special _manga_. _This was my weird logic: Blue is the Gary-ish rival's default name in the old Pokémon R/B games (U.S. versions at least), I think, while the Ash-ish hero is Red. So, by virtue of extension, as well as his clothes, Richie should be Green (yay for crappy logic)! Hm...oh, and Richie doesn't have a Blastoise, of course. I forget why I gave him one...I think it was a picture I saw of that Green girl standing next to Squirtle._

_Gary and Richie _did_ face off at the Indigo League in one of the comic series, I believe, and Gary did lose, so it's not totally out there. _

I think this chapter is one of the few things I actually like about this fic. Why is it so long if I didn't like it...I do not know.


	8. CERULEAN

**7. CERULEAN**

* * *

_"A fight to the death? That's a fight no one will win."_

* * *

"First Gym battle jitters are nothing to be ashamed of," Chikai hissed in Reena's ear from its perch atop her head. Below on Reena's shoulder, Nibbles was nowhere near pleased concerning the recent adjustment in travel arrangements. It spat and gnashed its teeth at Chikai whenever the Pikachu's broad tail ventured too close to its own space.

Reena was beginning to feel as if she had been converted into some sort of sightseeing trolley for small Pokémon. "But what happens if I lose?" she whispered, remembering the loser's blackouts in the Pokémon game, where you lost half your money and were kicked to the last Pokémon Center you had visited. Reena hoped things would turn out a little less harsh if she did lose, but had no way of being sure.

As a result, she whispered a little too loudly. Several people in the street turned to stare at her, and Reena could only hope they believed she was talking to herself._ Not only am I an incompetent beginning trainer, _she thought miserably. _I'm insane, too._

Chikai was silent a few moments before answering, this time in a much sharper voice than before. "Don't picture losing, it'll only make things worse," it instructed strictly. "Now straighten your back and don't bow you head down so much; you want to make a good impression on the Gym Leader."

Reena, vaguely wondering how she could correct her posture when a not-so-light duo of Pokémon had taken refuge on her head and shoulder, pushed open the doors to the Cerulean City Gym and hobbled inside.

For an instant, she was blinded by blue. Flickering blue light seemed to come from the floor and walls, rippling across her face like waves in a gentle breeze. Looking about, Reena could barely stifle a gasp of surprise. Everywhere she looked, from the ceiling above, to the walls surrounding them, and even the floor beneath her feet, gave her the distinct impression of being underwater in an enormous fish tank.

Marveling, she pressed her fingers towards the glimmering seascape before her, meeting flawless glass. Just beyond, Goldeen and Seel cavorted about in playful circles, weaving in and out through an intricate maze of colorful coral. One curious Dewgong swam up towards Reena's face, pressing its nose to the glass before flipping away and darting high above her head.

"This...this is too cool!" she whispered to Chikai and Nibbles, barely able to control her delight. "Back home, I used to go to an aquarium just like this, only it wasn't nearly so big!"

Neither Pokémon answered, which was just as well. She didn't expect Nibbles to even know what an aquarium was, and if Chikai did, it certainly didn't approve. Tearing herself away from the glass, Reena took a deep breath and headed down the corridor.

Coming out at last into the large lobby, she let her breath out in a disappointed sigh. The polished white room was empty, save for a half-open door at its end. Just beyond the door, Reena glimpsed a shimmer of blue, water perhaps? The sound of muffled splashes drifted out towards her, confirming this. Resting a hand briefly over Rebelle's PokéBall, Reena pushed the door open and stepped inside.

There was water, alright-the entire room seemed to consist of one huge swimming pool, bordered by narrow strips of slick tile. Inflatable mats floated in seemingly random arrangements on the water's surface, swaying back and forth, sending out a small stream of ripples as they moved.

So was this the arena that the Cerulean City Gym Leader used? Reena had expected something of the sort. But if this was the battlefield, where was the Leader?

Reena's question was on the tip on her tongue when Chikai stiffened, digging its claws into her scalp. Reena's shout, echoing loudly off the high ceiling, sent Nibbles scurrying to bury its small head under her jacket collar.

"You again!" a disdainful voice exclaimed. Reena turned, catching sight of someone she had not noticed before, someone who was slouched over in the shadow of the corner wall.

Hand around his PokéBall, Riddle brought his shoulders from the wall and rose with a scowl. He should have known Satoshi Golden, being a new trainer and all, would head for the closest Gym. How did the kid move so fast? Riddle had only arrived in the Cerulean himself that morning, and he had been running all night long.

_Tyranitar take it, _Riddle thought angrily. Why couldn't that lousy Gym Leader be there when he arrived hours ago? He could have gotten his badge and blown this Gym long ago. Riddle didn't have time for Satoshi Golden and his creepy Pokémon, not when he had to focus all his energy on his first badge.

_Someday, _he vowed, staring hatefully at Satoshi's face and running a finger over the bite marks on his left palm, _someday you're going to run from me the same way I did from you. But not today. Not when I have a badge to win._

"Where's the Cerulean Leader?" Satoshi Golden was asking now, careful to keep his distance from Riddle's surly face.

"What do you think I am, a psychic?" Riddle said waspishly. "You're going to have to do the same thing as the rest of us. Wait around until the Leader shows their face."

There was a pause; the dense Satoshi was apparently trying to puzzle things out in his head, trying to remember where he had seen Riddle before and what he could have possibly done to make him so mad.

Riddle's hands clenched and unclenched. He couldn't wait in this room any longer, not if it meant hanging around Satoshi Golden. Sure enough, that scarred Pikachu was riding on the back of the kid's head, eying Riddle beadily out of those black, bright eyes. Golden's mini Furret had poked its head out at last and was hissing at Riddle, baring its teeth in a very nasty sort of way.

_Freaks of a feather flock together, _Riddle thought uneasily. It was just like Golden to band with that kid fugitive, even when a trainer with any brain activity whatsoever would have seen how much more they would gain handing him in to the League. "Where's your friend, the fugitive?" Riddle asked abruptly, realizing that he had never actually seen Golden's infamous companion, not even with Golden himself. "Does he actually hang around with you losers, or what?"

Satoshi flushed angrily and the Furret on his shoulder squealed. Perfect, Riddle had hit a nerve. Prod at it long enough, and Golden would be sure to stomp away from the Gym in a rage. Perhaps not the best course of action to take, but Riddle was too impatient to think of another way to get rid of Satoshi Golden.

"There's no telling what a dangerous kid like that fugitive's gonna do when you're not watching," Riddle went on, warming to the subject. "Criminal behavior, it's in your blood for life. As soon as the kid doesn't need that blasted trainer's immunity anymore, he'll be on the run again. Blowing up buildings, killing baby Pokémon..."

"Richie wouldn't kill anybody!" Satoshi yelled. "He would never hurt anybody, not ever!"

Riddle eyed the other trainer through his long greasy bangs. "He must have hurt somebody really bad," he said coldly. "Why else do you think the League has it in for him?"

From the look on Satoshi's face, it was clear he had not even considered this. Or perhaps, never wanted to.

"He's never told you why he's on the run?" Riddle said incredulously. "And you still trust this guy? And where is he now, if he's so trustworthy? I'd be careful if I were you-watch out for exploding buildings..."

Satoshi started to say something, but his Pokémon was faster. With an enraged snarl, the little Furret on Golden's shoulder launched itself into the air and directly onto Riddle's head. Riddle cried out as the Pokémon's small claws dug at his face, clawing at his eyes. One prickly claw tore a long scratch down his cheek. Wincing as a bead of blood ran down his neck, Riddle threw up his hands, tearing the Furret's slippery body away from his face.

The Furret popped out of his hands like a bar of wet soap, clamping its pointy canines into the web between two of Riddle's fingers. Yelling in anger and fear, Riddle shook his hand wildly, sending the small Pokémon flying into the air and out over the pool.

"Nibbles!" Golden screamed, rushing over to the water and peering down. The Pikachu had leapt down from Golden's head by now and was glaring at Riddle with hatred practically radiating from its coal-black eyes. Riddle found himself at a complete loss for words as the scarred Pokémon scampered from the room, disappearing through the door.

_You killed a Pokémon, _it had said, Riddle thought for one fleeting moment of horror. But that was stupid. Pokémon couldn't think, couldn't feel the way humans did, and even the ones who were trained to talk weren't capable of hate. Not like that Pikachu.

Riddle watched, frozen, as Golden swung himself over the edge and plunged into the pool. _You idiot! _he would've shouted. _It's just a stupid little Pokémon. Too small to be anything other than a lap rat. _But somehow, his throat had closed on him. The same tight hand that had done it was now clenching at his gut, twisting at it until Riddle felt like vomiting.

_You killed a Pokémon, _whispered a small voice in the back of Riddle's head._ You killed a Pokémon. _Head pounding, he started forward after Golden. He might have even gone into the pool, too, if another, darker voice hadn't stopped him.

_Why do you actually care? _this voice retorted. _Golden is supposed to be your enemy. Any blow to him is to your benefit! Besides, it was his crazy little rat that attacked _you _in the first place. You'd be an idiot to help either of them._

_Even more of an idiot than Golden himself._

Several yards away, Reena floundered wildly in the water, grasping at a bobbing mat as it passed. Nibbles could be anywhere, at the bottom of the pool or sinking rapidly towards the bottom. The pool was so big, and her waterlogged clothes were pulling her down with every stroke. She didn't even have enough of an idea to know how deep the pool was. She couldn't see underwater, though she ducked her head below and tried to open her eyes.

Still clutching at the mat, Reena desperately scanned the pool again. Nibbles must be sinking by now; maybe it was already at the bottom. "Nibbles!" she yelled, choking on a mouthful of water and blinking her stinging eyes. "_Nibbles!_"

And then a huge wave of water sent her mat spinning to the side and turning over in mid-water. Pulling herself back to the surface and gasping for air, Reena caught sight of a blurry form emerging from the water.

There was a shout from above. Reena could just make out Richie dashing forward, led by an anxious Chikai. Then she was slipping; the mat had become far too wet for her to hold onto any longer.

A strong hand grabbed Reena's own as she sank, pulling her back to the surface and towards the edge of the pool. Reena coughed out a fair amount of water before she was yanked onto wet tile, soaked to the bone and throat burning. When her vision cleared at last, she see Richie and Chikai standing over her, Richie looking shocked and Chikai's ears twitching. Not in annoyance, Reena hoped vaguely, but in worry.

"You're a loyal trainer, to go in after your Pokémon like that," a female voice sounded from behind.

Turning, Reena met a pair of light sea-green eyes, standing out as brightly as the orangey hair that framed the pale face. Their owner, a swimsuited girl several years older than Reena herself, smiled broadly, cocking her head towards the small, wet bundle in her hands. As it sputtered into movement, hissing weakly, the girl handed it to Reena. "You'll be more careful next time," she reprimanded both of them in a stern, but kind, voice.

"It wasn't my fault," Reena began automatically, looking over her shoulder to where the boy with the greasy red hair was still standing. She might have added to this, if it weren't for the ashen look on the boy's face.

"I'm the Cerulean Leader, Kasumi Waterflower, but the people of Cerulean call me the Lady of the Mists," the girl said, shaking the water from her closely-cropped hair. " 'Cause of that, everyone else calls me Misty. Except for the occasional 'brat,' 'runt,' or not-so-nice curse, that is." She made a wry face, and Reena couldn't help but smile.

She had hoped Misty would be the Cerulean Gym Leader, like in the Pokémon game. True, the Misty from the anime did seem a little scary, but seeing her here in _this_ world provided the same kind of assurance that Richie had - the assurance that she wasn't too far her own world and old life.

"Thanks for saving me and Nibbles. I'm...Satoshi Golden," Reena said, extending a hand to shake. "I've come to challenge you for one of your Cascade Badges."

"Cascade Badge?" Misty looked blank. "Oh, I see. You mean the Bluebadge, don't you?"

Behind her dripping back, Reena felt Chikai poke her sharply. "Yeah, I guess that's what I meant," she affirmed, feeling sheepish over her own ignorance. Swerving about so Chikai couldn't poke her again, Reena added-"And these are my friends, Chikai and Richie. My Furret...the Pokémon you rescued, is Nibbles."

But Misty hadn't heard this last statement. Eyes wide, she stepped forward and took Richie by the shoulders to get a better look at his face. "Great Ho-oh, it is you!" she exclaimed, releasing Richie and smiling. "So it's true, then. You got Satoshi here to save you after all."

Richie smiled back hesitantly. "Satoshi here's been a great friend."

"I'm sure he is." Misty turned back to the other trainer, noting at last the sopping wet condition of Reena's clothes. "You can't go around like that the rest of the day," she said, gesturing towards the door. "There's a set of stairs just down the hall. Go up and take the first door to your right. You can change in there. And after that," she added, "we can all have lunch together out back."

Reena nodded gratefully, taking herself, and Nibbles, out the door and leaving a dripping trail of water as she went. Eyes darting from Richie to the departing trainer, Chikai followed Reena out of the room, plodding deliberately along on all fours lest someone should change their mind. It glanced suspiciously back at Richie once more before exiting completely.

"So that's the famous Satoshi," Misty remarked to Richie as soon as Chikai left the room. "Tell me, where did you meet him?"

Richie gestured vaguely with one hand. "Around."

"Around?" Misty repeated, eyes narrowing into glittering slits of emerald.

"He became my friend when no one else would," Richie replied staunchly. "Not many trainers would do that, not for someone like me."

Misty blinked. It was just the tiniest flicker of an eyelid, but Richie noted it uneasily. "I would have done the same thing, you know," she said, quieting her voice. "I would have, if it weren't for..." Suddenly, her neck tensed, turning to glance into a nearby corner.

"And who might you be?" she demanded of the red-haired boy standing there.

Riddle raised his head, still feeling faintly nauseous. "A challenger, lady," he said in a surly voice, untangling his long legs and rising deliberately to his feet. "Congratulations. I've been waiting here the entire morning and you just noticed me. Don't expect any consolation prizes, though."

The tips of Misty's ears turned red, but the girl smiled in her most professional, condescending, smug-Gym-Leader manner. "You want to battle?" she said, hands on hips. "Well, let's get started." Stepping to the edge of the pool, she performed a graceful dive, emerging at the other end seconds later.

"Starmie!" she called, clapping her hands together.

Riddle watched apprehensively, hand on PokéBall, as a growing whirlpool sprang up in the middle of the water, clearing a swath of pool completely free of mats. Then he pulled the PokéBall, his sole PokéBall, from his pocket and flung it into the air.

* * *

Reena reentered the battle room, hair toweled off and clad in the same clothes she had worn upon her first appearance in the Pokémon world, just in time to see the boy with the long red hair push roughly past her. He had his hand clenched tightly around something; was it a PokéBall, Reena wondered. Behind her, Chikai scowled disapproving as the boy's foot came down haphazardly close to its tail.

"There you are!" Misty said as Reena came out onto the tile. She only glanced briefly at Reena's shirt, not even bothering to ask what "Nintendo" was, as Chikai had so feared.

"That boy," Reena started, glancing at the open door. "Is he coming back?"

"Probably not," Misty shrugged dismissively. She had changed out of her swimsuit into a pair of old jeans and yellow tank top. Her hair, now dry, curled under her ears and over her forehead, as impossibly bright orange as it had been in all the pictures Reena had seen in her own world. This Misty didn't look like an anime character, but the resemblance was definitely there.

"He lost, then?" Reena asked, turning her mind back to the red-haired boy. _Serves him right, after what he did to Nibbles and said about Richie._

"He beat all three of my Pokémon with only one of his own." Misty shrugged again, as if the details of the match were clearly below her. "Lunch first; you can have your battle later," she said, leading Reena out the back door and into the blinding dazzle of sunlight. "You and your Pokémon look like they're starving!"

Grinning, Misty ushered Reena, Nibbles, and Chikai onto the open veranda with one hand. A small, circular table had been set up in the center. Several yards away sparkled the outside portion of Misty's pool, bordered by a strip of the same white tile as inside the gym. With a squeal of ecstasy, the fully rejuvenated Nibbles bounded from Reena's shoulder onto the nearby veranda table, sniffing eagerly at the picnic basket in Richie's hands. Laughing, the trainer opened the basket and let the Furret dive inside.

After days of nothing but energy bars and Richie's strange (and, frankly, pretty awful) herbal concoctions, Reena's stomach growled so loudly at the sight of real food that even Nibbles looked up from its chocolate-covered rice ball. Chattering at the top of its small throat, the Furret took another rice ball in its paws and pushed it generously in Reena's direction.

Only after the basket was completely unloaded and a second rice ball was clutched firmly in her hands did Reena clear her throat to speak. "I just can't tell you how grateful I am," she said to Misty, prodding the voracious Nibbles pointedly in the back. "Nibbles, too. If you hadn't come, I don't want to think what would've happened."

"I thought I heard someone yelling inside," Misty said with a shrug. Pointing to the water that lapped at the edge of the outside pool, she added, "That part of the pool connects directly with the one inside. So I just, you know, did my thing. No big deal."

"It _was _a big deal!" Reena insisted, waving her rice ball around for emphasis. "You saved Nibble's life back there! And mine, too, probably!"

From where it perched on the edge of the table, Chikai narrowed its eyes and slowed its chewing. It didn't like the way Reena was talking to Misty-reverence wavering on the edge of hero-worship. Chikai would never trust humans, not to mention League workers of such rank as Gym Leaders. The more admiring Reena became of the older girl, the narrower Chikai's black eyes grew and the more sluggish its jaw became.

One place beyond the Pikachu, Richie picked aimlessly at the food on the table. So much food; Richie hadn't seen so much since the free competitors' banquets they served at the Indigo League Conference. But Richie didn't feel like eating, not after what had happened in the alley.

Was Misty watching? Richie clasped a hand around a sandwich and brought it back reluctantly. _Kasumi Waterflower, Lady of the Mists, _the trainer thought, glancing briefly at the Cerulean Leader as she and Satoshi launched into an enthusiastic conversation on cute Water Pokémon. _What is she still doing back here in Cerulean City? Misty could have the entire League at her feet by now, with all the connections she has at her disposal._

"Richie? I said, are you thirsty?"

Richie looked up, causing Misty's sea-green eyes to crinkle at the corners. _She's watching me, alright, _Richie thought, fingering the sandwich and taking a small bite. _Something's not right, and she knows it. I've got to smile now, smile and act normal like I should have done from the start._

"Togei!" Misty called, clapping her hands together. "Bring us some drinks, would you? I'll have lemonade with honey, not sugar."

"Togetic," chimed an angelic voice in response. Gauzy white wings fluttering delicately in the air, a cream-colored fairy of a Pokémon emerged from the back of the veranda, a platter of drink glasses balanced in its petite arms. Chirping musically, it set the glasses before the trainers, each clinking lightly with fresh ice cubes.

Misty nodded her approval and readjusted the frilly pink bow affixed to the Togetic's head. "Thanks, sweetie," she cooed, sending the Pokémon off again with another pat. "Tell little Lapra she's doing a fantastic job with the ice cubes; these are absolutely adorable!"

Richie looked into the lemonade glass. The ice cubes were shaped like miniature hearts.

"Lapra is quite the artistic genius," Misty was telling Satoshi now. "Poor little thing was simply wasting away in the Orange Islands. I don't use her for battles, though; Lapra's never had the proper kind of training..."

Richie lifted the glass and took a long look, watching the adorable little ice cubes melt into shapeless blobs. Screwing up its face in disgust beside Richie, Chikai could barely keep from gagging and whispering a disdainful remark in the trainer's ear.

Pink bows and heart-shaped ice cubes! Of all the completely trivial things! Chikai was practically fuming with indignant anger. _Is this what we Pokémon have been reduced into? _the Pikachu raged inwardly. _Mere toys, dressed up to satisfy a trainer's every whim? _Still boiling, Chikai forced its breathing to slow, the blood to fade from its cheeks. Pokémon had never been anything more than fascinating little toys and tools to their human masters, a system that had met only futile resistance over its centuries of existence.

As much as Chikai disliked trainers who were cruel and beat Pokémon for losing battles, what the Pikachu could never stand were those trainers who stripped their Pokémon of what little dignity they had left. _These humans say they're our friends, _the Pikachu seethed. _Some of them even believe it. But they will never treat us as equals, not when centuries of human superiority have convinced their minds otherwise._

Which was precisely why an outsider, unhindered by the innate brand of beliefs every ordinary trainer carried, was crucial to the success of the plan. Chikai thought it possible to convince the other-worlder, Reena Carlson, to fight for their cause.

As that first legendary outsider had done so decades ago, before returning to his own world to spread a story of little monsters, journeying children, and their strange society.

But this new Satoshi was nothing like the first outsider. Her skills, her knowledge, they were all useless here; if she didn't realize it yet, she would be bound to soon. Then again, Reena Carlson did seem to like Pokémon, if that could still be counted for anything. And the Storm Guardian had trusted her motives-she had been able to call the Shining Dragonite towards her and release it.

_But..._Chikai felt a shuddering shiver rattle its way up its spine. The Guardians did not foresee everything. They had not seen the terrible mistake Chikai had made before it was too late to act. _The mistake, _Chikai thought ruefully, raising a paw to its cheeks, _that marked me with these scars and destroyed what little power I had left. _

Chikai had told Satoshi it did not intend to repeat its previous failure. Of course, another such mistake would surely cost the Pikachu its life.

"... escape was in the newspapers and everything," Misty was saying as Chikai turned back to the conversation at hand. "What's worse is that we should have expected something like it beforehand. Weeks before the explosion, he was calling out to himself, as if he heard voices in his head and was answering back to them. The boy was insane, completely insane...who knows how he exploded the wall?"

"I always thought Gary Oak was a loser to begin with," Reena agreed, eager to show her knowledge on the topic. "Always bragging and beating up on other trainers. Those are the stories I've heard, at any rate," she added hastily. "I always thought his Eevee was so cute; it was really too bad it got stuck with such a nasty trainer..."

"Richie should know. He battled Gary at the Pokémon League two or three years back. Of course, Richie beat him-Richie's too good a trainer to lose to a brat like Gary Oak."

Richie felt the lemonade glass slipping downwards. Casually, but ever so carefully, Richie lowered the glass back onto the table and smiled at Misty and the chattering Satoshi. "Gary wasn't so bad himself," Richie said, still smiling earnestly.

_Wasn't? Isn't, you mean. Gary Oak's still alive, and he's still a trainer at heart. And a very good trainer at that. _Blue's words rung in Richie's ears, rendering the trainer oblivious to Misty's laugh and Satoshi's agreement. _Find out! You're the only one who can, now._

_And finding out is the only way you can save Gary and all the other trainers who have been taken. It's the only way you'll be able to save yourself when the time comes._

Misty had finished laughing by now and was shaking her head in mild bafflement. "That's just like you to say something like that," she retorted. "Richie could never say anything bad about anything or anybody," she informed Satoshi. "Always looking on the sunny side of things, that's Richie."

_If you turn your face into the sun, it will blind you. Look into the sun, and you cannot see the shadows that define the actual world around you. _

Who had told Richie those words, long ago? The words that Richie had spent so many years trying to live in defiance of? Richie shoved the taunting thoughts hastily away, realizing at last that Misty and Satoshi were getting to their feet, and that Misty's little Togetic had flown in to take their plates and glasses from the table.

"I hope you're ready for a battle now," Misty informed Satoshi spiritedly. "But don't expect me to go easy on you, just because you're a novice."

"I wouldn't expect any less," Satoshi replied evenly. "Novice or not, I'm not leaving until I win!"

Misty's response belied the brightness of her smile. "Then I guess you're going to be here for quite a while."

Standard trainers' banter. Richie had never understood why the Leaders felt the need to traditionally belittle lower trainers, even in jest. Gym Leaders fell right below the Elite Four in the hierarchy of the trainer system. Compared to a Leader, a regular trainer like Satoshi or Richie was little more than a smear of mud on the tile.

Passing through the doors into the interior of the Gym, Misty pulled a PokéBall from her jeans pocket and palmed it in one hand. "Two on two's my standard match for most novices," she said, taking her place at the front of the pool.

"That's okay with me," Reena agreed from the other end. Two Pokémon, after all, were all she owned. Taking Rebelle's PokéBall from inside her jacket, she fought down a resurgence of the same gut-wrenching nerves that she had experienced upon entering the Cerulean Gym. She could try again if she lost, if it did come down to that. But if that happened, Reena would go down in Misty's eyes. And at the moment, that meant far more than the loss of the Cas...that's right, the Bluebadge.

Tossing her PokéBall into the air, catching it, and then hurling it out over the pool, Misty waited patiently as her Pokémon hit the water and dove beneath the surface with a sharp splash.

Panic swelled in Reena's stomach, which she rapidly tried to restrain. Misty hadn't announced the Pokémon she was using, and it had disappeared far too quickly underwater for her to catch a decent look.

Fighting against an unknown opponent was bad enough, but now she didn't even know where the Pokémon had gone. It could be anywhere, lying in wait under one of those mats. Rebelle wouldn't know where to aim; it would get pushed into the water...Reena tried to shake the memory of a drowning Nibbles from her mind. But no matter how she tried, it was still there, bold as if it had been branded in by a hot iron...

"Satoshi," Richie whispered, coming up to stand by her side. His voice cut through her tangle of doubts like a metal knife. "Satoshi, no matter what kind of Pokémon that is, it's still a Water type. Rebelle still has an advantage."

"I know," Reena whispered back, resolve tightening. Setting her jaw, she lobbed the PokéBall into the air and watched as the Chikorita materialized onto the nearest mat with a battle cry.

Misty didn't look the slightest bit perturbed. "A Grass type," she noted coolly. "Well, you've got type advantages down, but we're still fighting this battle _in the water. _Unless your Chikorita can swim, it's pretty much sunk."

_Does she have to keep up this banter? _Richie thought. Apparently, Chikai felt the same exact way. Scrambling up Richie's shoulder to obtain a better view of the battle, the Pikachu gave an obvious hiss of irritation. "Look at Satoshi!" it whispered into Richie's ear. "He's nervous enough as it is; why does that so-called Lady have to make it even worse?"

"Rebelle, Razor Leaf!" Reena yelled to her Pokémon. Head-leaf whirling into action, the Chikorita sent a stream of dart-like leaves spinning in the air. Each one bounced into the water, deflecting harmlessly off its surface.

"Whirlpool," Misty commanded her hidden Pokémon, voice ringing loud and clear over Reena's groans of frustration. Instantaneously, the water began to churn, swirling around and around until a violent maelstrom had formed in the pool's middle.

Rebelle squealed, more out of indignant anger than anything else, as its mat went flying into the enormous eddy, twisting and dipping as it spun around and around. "Hang on with your vine whips!" Reena yelled over the roar of the whirlpool. "Just hang on!"

Anchoring its lithe vine whips around the mat, Rebelle squeezed its eyes shut as waves of water splashed upward around its body. When the whirlpool slowed at last, the Chikorita was noticeably disoriented.

"Bubblebeam!" Misty instructed her Pokémon as Rebelle tried to regain its balance. Reena gasped as the mat holding Rebelle shot backwards amid a sea of bubbles, slamming into the side of the pool.

"Again!" Misty cried. The bubbles shot forward again, but this time, Rebelle had been forewarned. Releasing its hold, it jumped nimbly to a different mat, just as the one it had deserted went rocketing into the wall, crumpling against the tile. Again the Chikorita jumped, leaping from mat to mat until it had reached the strip of tile that bordered the side of the wall.

"That was great, Rebelle!" Reena yelled encouragingly. Now Misty's Pokémon would have to come out from underwater in order to attack.

"They got us there," Misty grumbled. "Okay, Starmie, come out of the water!"

As soon as the words had left her mouth, a sparkling lavender and golden blur sprang from the water, spinning into the air. Water streamed from the polished sides of Misty's Pokémon as it gained speed, cutting its way directly towards Rebelle.

_Razor Leaf will be deflected by Starmie's spinning arms, _Reena thought quickly. _And at the force Starmie is coming, there's no way Rebelle stands a chance. Unless..._

"Rebelle, Reflect!" Reena shouted to her Pokémon. Bracing its body against the wall, Rebelle squeezed its eyes shut, concentrating as a golden screen materialized in the air before it. Spinning so fast it was just a blur, Misty's Starmie hit the screen head-on. Ricocheting off, the Pokémon flew backwards into the opposite wall of the Gym, a scant few feet away from where Richie and Chikai stood.

A smile tugged at Chikai's mouth as it noticed the Starmie's ruby center gem had been cracked by the impact. "One down, one to go," it whispered in anticipation.

Reena was breathing heavily as Misty recalled her Pokémon. Back against the other wall of the gym, Rebelle's eyes fluttered open, the Reflect attack in front of it fading rapidly. Its body heaved just as much as its trainer's with every ragged breath.

"Hey, that wasn't so bad," Misty commented, rummaging for another PokéBall and tossing it from hand to hand. "Think you stand a chance now?"

Reena didn't bother to answer, only ground her teeth some more. Her jaw was beginning to hurt, but she didn't care.

"Ah well, let's not keep you in suspense." Twirling gracefully, the Cerulean Leader flung her PokéBall over the pool and smiled knowingly as her new Pokémon appeared, upper body protruding from the center of the pool. "Golduck," she said calmly. "Use Confusion on that Chikorita now."

The water was unnaturally still as a glowing purple aura glimmered into view around the Golduck's body, growing and growing until purple fire flared about the sides of the Gym. The world seemed twist under Reena's feet as a tongue of purple flame leapt forward, knocking Rebelle off the ledge. The Chikorita fell onto a nearby mat with a dull thud.

Stifling a cry, Reena held out her PokéBall and recalled Rebelle. Her arm was shaking, shaking so badly that could barely hold onto the PokéBall. The way Rebelle had gone down, body limp and eyes glazed, scared her. It scared her so much that she wanted to leave this battle and run to the Pokémon Center right away. But she couldn't, and it was the realization of the rule she could not break that was making her tremble.

Richie's voice came again, low and hurried. "Satoshi," Richie was saying. "Satoshi, listen to me, you need to calm down."

Breathing hard, Reena shook her head. She should've have prepared harder. If she had, Rebelle wouldn't have been hurt so badly, and Nibbles wouldn't have to be going back into that horrible pool...

Something cold was pressed into Reena's hand; looking down, she saw it was a PokéBall emblazoned with a tiny navy star. "Take Chel, just for this battle," Richie urged. "It's a Water Pokémon; it stands a better chance against Golduck than Nibbles."

Reena's fingers closed around the PokéBall and she nodded numbly.

Managing a smile, Richie stepped back from Reena and gave her a thumbs-up sign. "Good luck," he mouthed as Reena threw the Blastoise's PokéBall over the water. "I know you can win this thing."

The Cerulean Leader smiled as Chel took its position in the water, back lowered and cannons cocked in its opponent's direction_. Is it a really a smile?_ Reena wondered briefly. From where she stood, breath ragged and eyes blurring, the expression on Misty's pale face looked awfully a lot like a smirk. "Richie's Pokémon may be better than your own," the Gym Leader said. "But they aren't going to win this for you. Golduck, Hyper Beam!"

Chel the Blastoise ducked underwater as a blinding column of light shot through the space of air it had occupied moments before. It reemerged at the other end of the pool, cannons pointed threateningly at Golduck.

"Okay," Reena said, mentally going over the arsenal of attacks she had seen Richie's Blastoise use before. "Bite attack!"

_A Dark attack against a half-Psychic, _she thought as Chel lunged forward, jaws apart. _It has to be a good choice. _It certainly seemed to be effective. Golduck cried out, clutching its limb, as Chel disappeared under the water once more, leaving only a patch of ripples in its wake.

Golduck dove as well, but its injured leg kept it from catching up. "Crippling a Psychic's body doesn't affect its mind," Misty said calmly, noting her Pokémon's new handicap without concern. "Golduck, take a look and tell them what you see."

Ripples swelled on the surface of the pool, as if some sudden wind had washed over the water. Reena could not help but shiver in anticipation.

Nothing happened.

"What's she playing at?" Chikai hissed to Richie. "Why isn't she attacking?"

_Psychic...take a look. _Reena's mind raced, going over her mental dossier of every attack in the Pokémon game. As Chel's broad shell shot up from below the water, Misty's words snapped into place. "Chel, look out! Withdraw!" she screamed, but it was already too late. The not-so imaginary wind raced over the pool once more, this time moving at the speed of a raging hurricane.

Pulling its limbs into its shell, the Blastoise's body was battered about by the suddenly storming water, crashing violently into first one wall, then another, before sinking out of sight.

"Golduck's Future Sight attack is impressive, isn't it?" Misty laughed as the victorious Pokémon performed an aquatic back flip. "Most trainers don't even see it coming."

Reena bit her lip, feeling tears coming to her eyes. _Chel, Richie, Chikai, I'm so sorry, _she thought sadly. _I failed you._

Hands on hips, Misty peered into the water, waiting for the Blastoise to resurface in defeat. As the seconds ticked past, the grin on her face slowly receded, leaving it puzzled and even paler than before. "What's that Pokémon playing at?" she demanded after several minutes had passed, worry entering her voice. "It can't stay underwater forever, unless..."

Reena understood now.

"Satoshi..." Richie started, but Reena was already racing towards the other end of the room, to the door that led outside the Gym. Pushing it open, she came out onto the veranda, followed closely by Richie, Chikai, and Misty. Quacking in confusion, Golduck waded out of the pool and came after its trainer, lame leg dragging behind it.

Reena stared into the sparkling blue of the outside pool, as if she could see beneath its shifting waves. _Misty said that the two pools were connected, _she remembered clearly. _And if I'm right, that'll mean..._

"Skull Bash!" Reena yelled loudly.

Roaring loudly in reply, an enormous form sprang up from the pool, dripping water as it barreled forward, head lowered. Misty's Golduck barely had time to react as all of Chel's 200-some pounds sent it flying backwards through the air and hurtling into the picnic table. Pushing the table from its back, the Golduck started forward angrily, bad leg dragging beneath it.

Chel shoved its opponent down again with a rough Tackle attack. This time, the Golduck stayed down.

Recalling her Pokémon after Reena had recalled the Blastoise, Misty managed a smile. "That was quite an interesting battle, Satoshi," she said, rummaging in her pocket and emerging with a glinting blue badge shaped like a teardrop. "Here, the Bluebadge is yours. But let me say this: if you had been competing at any official League tournament, you would have been disqualified immediately for using another trainer's Pokémon, as well as for leaving the boundaries of the arena."

Her opponent, the boy Satoshi, took the offered Bluebadge with a shaking hand. "Will it be okay?" he blurted suddenly, eyes quivering.

Misty was taken aback. "You won," she said in surprise. "Of course you'll be okay."

"Not me." The boy gestured to the PokéBall in her hand. "Golduck. And Starmie. Me and my Pokémon...beat them up pretty badly. I just wanted to know if they're gonna get better."

"Of course they'll get better!" Misty exclaimed indignantly, hands on hips. "We'll train and train until we all get better and can beat the living daylights outta any trainer that comes along to challenge my Gym."

Eyes wide, the trainer Satoshi shook his head, once, then twice. Cheeks wet, he turned and ran from her.

* * *

Reena watched the ships depart from Cerulean Bay at the edge of the wharves. Hugging her knees closer to her body, she turned her eyes to the vast array of cloud formations that drifted in the expanse of sky above. This one looked like a kitten chasing its tail, that one like an angry teacher, mouth open in a sharp reprimand. And that one, that one looked like a Pikachu sitting on a stump, paws outstretched and waving.

Another tear dropped from her face, narrowly missing Nibbles's sleeping body, and hitting the wooden deck she sat upon. Similar dark blotches lay upon the deck beside this one; Reena had been sitting here for quite a while, and she had not bothered to wipe away her tears.

"You won."

Reena looked up with a start, causing Nibbles to flick its tail in sleepy protest.

Chikai took its place on the deck beside her, looking at neither her nor Nibbles. "You won," it repeated, gaze trained on the sky. "There's no need to cry about it."

"I'm not crying about that!" Reena argued, wiping her tears on her sleeve and trying not to flinch at Chikai's words. The cool, casual way in which the Pikachu had said the words "You won" reminded her painfully of Misty.

"You won, even though that blasted Gym Leader didn't have the decency to play fairly," Chikai went on after a moment's pause. "Even though she tried to trick you into thinking she was on your side, you still won."

Reena winced at these words. "Misty was so great to me," she said quietly. "She's a great trainer, the kind of trainer I wished I could be like, you know, Chikai?"

The Pikachu sniffed disdainfully.

"Chikai, how can somebody rescue a drowning Pokémon one minute and not care about how badly their Pokémon are hurt the next?" Reena asked, eyes wide. "To truly be the greatest trainer of them all, is that the kind of attitude I'll eventually have to take on? Not caring about how my Pokémon are hurt or how much I hurt my opponent's Pokémon, just about whether I can snag that one badge or win this one battle?"

Even Chikai seemed unable to find any words in which to reply. Sighing softly, Reena turned away, stroking Nibbles's fur gently with one finger. "Chikai, can I ask you something?"

"Depends. I don't bother with stupid, private, or rhetorical questions."

"You never seem to get upset when Pokémon fight," Reena said hesitantly. "And you're a Pokémon, so maybe you know. Why does your world depend so much on Pokémon fighting? I mean, to be anybody in this world, that's all that counts. Whether or not you can train a team of fighting champions."

"The system of trainer-and-Pokémon has been part of our world for longer than even the Guardians themselves can remember," Chikai answered solemnly.

"So you don't get upset when...when the other Pokémon are out there. Hurting each other, tearing each other apart..."

Chikai's eyes flashed and its reply was particularly curt. "We don't tear each other apart in battles, no more than the youths of your world tear themselves apart over their silly football matches," it retorted, looking markedly offended. "Honestly, Satoshi, we're not barbarians. We fight because it's in our blood, never to maim!"

"But what if your trainer tells you to hurt the other Pokémon, Chikai? Hurt them real bad because it's the only way you'll win otherwise?"

Glancing at the child's anxious face, Chikai felt some of its stony resolve crumbling away right then and there. The child had a right to know why she had been summoned, the catalytic purpose she had been brought to serve. But now, Chikai knew, the burden would surely crush her already faltering confidence, despite the many blows Chikai had already dealt in order to harden it.

"I don't think I'll ever become a Pokémon trainer good enough to beat the Champion," Reena said sadly when Chikai didn't answer. "Winning the Cas...I mean, the Bluebadge; that was hard enough - and I didn't even play by the rules! I don't know how I'm ever gonna beat them all, how I'll get home if I can't win..."

Chikai's scowl returned as it faced Reena, eyes blazing. "If you think that wretched Badge is the only thing you're won today, Satoshi Golden, then you're surely mistaken!" it declared angrily. "Thousands of trainers have managed to get their hands on that cheap piece of shiny plastic! But you're the only one I've met who actually cares about the Pokémon involved in the process." The Pikachu smiled wryly, eyes bright.

"Oh, I had my doubts about you, Satoshi," it began, folding its paws. "When we first brought you here from your world, I didn't think you stood a chance, that I had made another mistake. The thing is, Satoshi, I don't give a Rattata's tail about whether you're skilled enough to take down the entire League in a week! We'll get there eventually with what we have. The only thing that matters is that you have proved yourself willing to treat Pokémon with respect and concern, even ones that are not your own. And for that, you have won the highest honor that I can give."

"What's that?" Reena asked slowly as Chikai's words sunk in.

"My respect." The Pikachu's scowl was back on its face, and it was looking very sorry indeed that it had let these words of praise slip from its mouth. "Now if you'll get that silly head of yours out of the clouds and back on earth, Richie is waiting for us at the Cerulean Pokémon Center."

"Rebelle and Chel? Are they...?"

"They're getting impatient waiting for you to return," Chikai snapped, tail twitching. "And don't you dare come back with your head bloated two sizes larger, Satoshi! You're still one of the sorriest trainers I've ever seen, in any world!"

"I'll get better, Chikai," Reena laughed, knowing that the Pikachu's words were much more critical than its actual thoughts. "I'll get better, I promise."

As Reena got to her feet and brushed wood splinters from her clothes, a stunned voice rang through the air behind them. "Satoshi Golden! Legendaries above, that Pikachu can talk! And you...Satoshi, you're from _another world_?!"

Chikai froze, tail raised, as the Cerulean Leader's bright orange hair came into view from behind a nearby stack of shipping crates.

"I knew you were a different kind of trainer, Satoshi," Misty continued, putting her hands on her hips. "But I don't think I had all this is mind!"

Reena flushed angrily and Chikai growled deep in the back of its throat. "Why are you spying on us?" Reena demanded shortly. "Just get out of here and leave me alone!"

"Don't _you _tell _me_ to get out of here, Satoshi Golden!" Misty shouted angrily, face turning a bright red. "This is my city, and I wouldn't be so presumptuous if I were you! And was most certainly _not _spying on anyone! I've been looking all over to give you the prize money you ran off without taking at the end of the match!"

Reena watched wordlessly as Misty yanked a handful of bills from her pocket and shoved them in her direction. They fell to the ground in a fluttering cascade of paper.

"Just take it!" Misty growled at Reena. Slowly, Reena bent and scooped up the badly-needed money. Her eyes, however, darted constantly back to Misty's face, as if expecting some sort of trick.

"So you're not too saintly to take money, now are you?" Misty said angrily, crossing her arms. "Who do you think you are anyway, Satoshi Golden? What position are _you _in to question me? If anyone's to be questioned, it's you!" Her voice turned mocking, almost bitter in her rage. "The trainer offering young Richie immunity is actually a child from another world who also harbors illegal talking Pokémon. Who would've guessed? This could drastically lower your credibility, Satoshi. Maybe even enough to undermine your so-called trainer's immunity."

"I thought you were Richie's friend, at least," Reena said bitterly. "But then, I guess that was all an act, too."

"Richie's a good kid!" Misty answered, indignation overpowering her anger. "I never figured out why the League had it in for him in the first place."

"And you're helping them! Helping them hurt your friend!" Reena accused hotly.

Misty shrugged, something uncertain clouding her eyes. "Satoshi, you're too inexperienced, too new," she said, shaking her head in what could almost be called sadness. "You don't understand that there's nothing to be gained by fighting the League, nothing to be gained from resisting a system that is thousands of years old. I'm a Gym Leader, and I have a responsibility to carry out the will of the League, however harsh it may appear to an outsider like you. You can't possibly hope to understand how the League works, not being who you are."

"I can understand you're talking about betraying Richie!" Reena shot back. "You don't have to do that, Misty!"

Misty laughed, a cold, hollow sound. "Child's words," she proclaimed coldly. "You wouldn't understand, Satoshi, no matter how long I stand here explaining things to you. You're a rookie through and through, one whose mind can only work with the naïve doctrines of good and evil. No, don't bother to answer me, just run along and find your little friend at the Pokémon Center. What's the matter? Richie is waiting for you."

"You know I'm right," Reena insisted stubbornly. "No matter what you're saying, you know betraying Richie is wrong. You can't do it! You just can't!"

"Don't tell me what I can't and can't do, Satoshi Golden!" Misty retorted, brightening into a deep red and losing all her cool composure. "You don't understand - you probably never will! Just get out of my face! Talking to you is giving me a major headache!"

To her immense surprise, the trainer obeyed. But not before shooting her a contemptuous look, so filled with fear and hate that Misty actually let him go. She watched as both Satoshi and the Pikachu with the double-x's scars disappeared down the Cerulean wharves, shoving past shocked fisherman and drawing a rapid string of curses behind them.

Alone once again, Misty bowed her head and started wearily back up the road.

* * *

Richie didn't take to lying easily. Yet this was the second time in the same day that deceiving Chikai and Satoshi had been deemed necessary. Richie felt guilty enough about not accompanying the Pikachu to search for its trainer, but there were things to do that simply could not be postponed.

Galloping hurriedly to the Cerulean City Archives, a small, humble-looking building on the western edge of the city, Richie fervently searched for records pertaining to recent prisoners of the Cerulean Island prison. There was nothing, save for that same news clipping detailing Gary Oak's escape and offering a reward for his capture Richie had seen before.

The Dungeon itself was, and had always been, forbidden from visitors. Dashing back to the Pokémon Center at top speed, Richie mentally went over a list of options.

_I could wait, wait and do my best to help Satoshi become the very best trainer he can be. Good enough to defeat the Champion and save the rest of the missing trainers._

But who knew how long that would take? No, Richie would simply have to keep an eye and an ear out for any mention of the missing trainers-who they were and when they had been taken. Only then could the pieces of the puzzle become coherent enough to fit together, only then could Richie began to address the ever-present question of "Why?"

Once that was figured out, Richie could begin the real work on how to stop them.

* * *

Misty would have much rather liked to take a stroll by the water lily garden out back, or go for a brisk swim in the Seel pool. Instead, she found herself outside in the relentless heat of the afternoon day, polish cloth and Mareep-wool brush in hand.

"Over here for a moment, Togei, sweetie," she coaxed, patting the cement walk beside her. "It's time for a little shell polishing, that's all."

Poking its head around the corner of the gate, Misty's Togetic chirped melodiously, flitting over obediently to stand by its trainer. Automatically, Misty undid the bow about its head, which had gotten mussed up a little during the course of the morning, and retied it neatly in place. Then she set to work, polishing the Togetic's shell with quick, gentle strokes until its smooth surface shone like pearly glass. The Togetic, for its part, waited patiently for its trainer to finish. It was quite used to this routine by now, sitting through about three to ten such polishings per day depending on how moody Misty was.

As she rubbed her Pokémon's shell to a glossy finish, Misty wanted to yell to the world to come and look. Look at the powerful and influential Gym Leader on her knees, scrubbing the shell of a Pokémon! _I take care of my Pokémon better than most trainers ever bother to! _she felt like screaming. Screaming, and shaking that rude boy Satoshi Golden by the shoulders.

She'd seen the way he'd looked at her, so full of loathing and hatred. Accusing her of betraying Richie, accusing her of not caring about Pokémon! It was no wonder she had lost her temper and lashed out with those terrible taunts and threats. She never _could _hold her temper when it was important. And it made her sound so bitter and awful, even when she wasn't that way at all!

Misty seethed inwardly as she moved to the wool brush, strokes unconsciously becoming harder and faster. It was silly of her, of course, to let that novice outsider of a trainer get to her like this. She cared about her Pokémon, and she cared about her friends as well. It didn't matter what some ignorant little outsider thought. Satoshi Golden didn't even have the good sense to stay away from trouble in the blatant form of talking Pokémon and wanted fugitives.

_I care about them all, I really do! _Misty thought angrily, mind now completely off task. Togei shifted slightly under the now grating scrub of the brush, whining softly when its trainer failed to notice.

_Look at Togei. It wouldn't have evolved from a Togepi into a Togetic if I hadn't loved it. I took care of it every single moment of its life, ever since it was an itty-bitty hatchling! Doesn't that count for something? Doesn't that mean I care? _

Squealing shrilly as its trainer accidentally slammed the brush into one of its delicate wings, the Togetic tore away frantically, pink bow in disarray.

"Togei, oh Togei! I'm so sorry!" Misty cried, dropping the brush as if it had scalded her hand. "Please come back, sweetie; I didn't mean to hurt you!"

But Togei had flown high onto the roof of the Gym and was peering frightfully down at its trainer. And Misty, calling her Pokémon down with the promise of treats and presents, felt tears helplessly fill her eyes.

_...willing to treat Pokémon with respect and concern, even ones not your own, _Satoshi's talking Pikachu had said on the wharves.

And Misty knew now that if she had to question herself to whether she really did treat Pokémon the right way, the answer was already painfully obvious.

* * *

_"A fight to the death? That's a fight no one will win."_

**-Misty Waterflower, Cerulean City Gym Leader**

* * *

____

_**Notes:** Misty shouldn't still have Togetic (wrote this way before she released it)...I should really change that...hm. _

_Ah, Reena, don't be mean to Misty because she's more complex than you! (feels bad for Misty) Misty isn't wrong or evil, per se, she's just been raised with the mindset that all the other trainers have and is only starting to question it - Reena, on the other hand, questions it from the beginning because she's an outsider (which is what Chikai wants). _

_Truthfully, I was very close to taking out those Misty scenes because they really aren't true to her character and make me feel bad. But then again, nobody's characterization got butchered as much as Tracey's (shudders)._


	9. UNDERGROUND

**8. UNDERGROUND**

* * *

_"It was around three years ago. Team Rocket was up to no good with Pokémon. But justice prevailed-a young kid broke 'em up."_

* * *

_"So the boy has a talking Pikachu? He already gives refuge to fugitives. Something like this should be expected, not come as a surprise."_

_"A talking Pikachu commits a Class Three felony simply by existing, sir. Punishment..."_

_"...can only be dealt by the Pokémon's trainer. Young Golden will come to his senses in time."_

_"The boy is not of this world, sir. He does not understand how things work within the League."_

_"There have always been stories about these other-worlders, you know. And they have a long tradition of causing trouble. That young man two years ago, the one involved in the Shamouti Island incident...."_

_"I know what happened, sir. I was there."_

_"Then you'll realize that Satoshi Golden is bound to slip up sometime. Then, and only then, will the League need to act. Who knows, after all? For all the trouble they cause, these other-worlders can prove useful in ways even they do not realize. Young Lawrence, after all, confirmed the existence of four mythical Pokémon."_

_"But not before those Pokémon ripped apart half the heavens."_

_"You worry far too much, Kasumi Waterflower. Satoshi Golden sounds like the kind of trainer who couldn't find a Beedril sting in a hornet nest."_

_"Ignorance and dumb luck is a dangerous combination, if you'll pardoning me for saying so, sir. I've been the victim of it too many times in the past to forget."_

* * *

"I think she was very brave," Richie said firmly as the two trainers trudged through the knee-high grass of Route 5. "Betraying a friend for a cause she believed in so strongly in. I think that would take a lot of courage."

"Richie!" Reena cried incredulously. "Misty's right; you really can't say anything bad about _anybody! _Even her!"

Slogging through the high, scratchy weeds was hard enough, what with Nibbles snoozing on her shoulder and Chikai riding on her head, and the sweltering heat of the sun did not made the trek any easier. Hot as it was, Richie didn't appear to be sweating a bit. In fact, he looked paler than ever. But his step was as quick as usual and his voice just as clear. Reena shook her head at this apparent contradiction, dismissing it as anxiety or perhaps shock on Richie's part.

"Her threats were empty, and she probably knew it," Richie informed Reena with a shake of his head. "Having a talking Pikachu might degrade your reputation, but it's nothing compared to taking in a fugitive." He smiled crookedly at both Reena and Chikai.

Reena tried to smile back, but was not reassured. Neither she nor Chikai had dared to say a word about Misty's other discovery: that Reena was indeed from another world.

"Just be thankful she didn't figure out that you're not actually Satoshi Golden and therefore shouldn't even be authorized to challenge the Champion!" Chikai had snapped at her as they ran away from the Cerulean waterfront. "But at the rate we're letting information leak, the whole region will know that you have Pichu heads on your pajamas by next week!"

"Well, look on the bright side," Reena had retorted snappishly. "You can keep you mouth open all you want once we're in prison!"

For now, Chikai was so sullen and silent that Reena could not help but wonder if the Pikachu had fallen asleep as well. Or was it plotting an elaborate escape plan in case Misty's threats really did come into effect?

No, Reena heard Chikai's voice sounding above her head. A taunt about Richie's previous words? No, it was a question. Sharp and demanding as ever, but at least it was not a taunt.

Of course, Richie would have taken it all the same way, with a smile and an earnest reply. "I still believe Misty is brave, Chikai," he answered the Pikachu sincerely. "I honestly do."

The Pikachu sniffed, disdain obvious. "It's always impossible to tell whether you're being sarcastic or not," it informed Richie icily. "Which either leads people to believe everything you say is either overly cynical or candidly idiotic."

"I hope you don't think I'm overly cynical, Chikai."

The Pikachu snorted. "Not a chance."

Reena sighed mentally, swiping at a bead of sweat trickling into her eyes. It would be a long, long walk to the next City of Asylum, that much could be said. For now, the near future consisted entirely of grass; tall, tickling grass that made her legs itch and filled her vision with what seemed to be endless miles of undulating green waves.

Green? That was most definitely not green.

Reena's head jerked to the side as a quick brown blur shot across the field, skimming over the tall grass and melting into the sky. Had there really been something there? Reena rubbed at her eyes and trudged on, quite certain that hours wandering under the scorching sun had finally taken its toll on her eyesight.

"When it comes down between a friend and a belief, it's not easy to choose which to defend," Richie was telling Chikai now. "If Misty had chosen to let me go, knowing what she does, she would have my gratitude as well as yours. But betraying her friends for a cause she has been loyal to for her entire life, that will eat at her from the inside out. Because there will be no friends there to reassure her that she has done the right thing. And in her eyes, you must understand, Chikai, Misty really thinks she is doing the right thing. That's why I think she's brave, to choose the path that will be the toughest to take. It's not the best for us, of course, but I still think it was brave of her to choose it."

Reena couldn't see for herself, but she was positive Chikai was rolling its eyes at this. "Your logic is severely flawed," it grumbled. "For one, that's not bravery. It's called masochism."

Wondering how long Richie and Chikai could keep this banter going, Reena shook her head, sighing once more, and nearly went sprawling into the grass. Atop her head, Reena could hear Chikai let out a long string of what could only be Pika-Pika profanities.

"Are you okay?" Richie called as Reena tried to regain her balance.

"I'm fine!" she yelled back. "There must have been a root or something...I tripped over something in the grass..."

At her feet, a rustling sound rose up from the ground. Parting the grass and bending down for a closer examination, Reena gasped in astonishment and delight. "Chikai! Richie! Get over here! Look at what I found!"

"I'm looking right now," Chikai said irritably, readjusting its position atop Reena's head. "And if you ask me, the least you could do is apologize."

"Sorry, Chikai. And you, too, Bellsprout. I didn't mean to trip over you, and I'm really sorry."

Bobbing its delicate yellow head, the Pokémon Reena had stepped on waved a glossy green leaf in her direction before bending its slender vine and wiggling deeper into the vegetation. Reena watched as the groves of grass parted before the Bellsprout's swaying stalk, then closed behind it in concealment.

"Chikai, it understood me, right?" she asked tentatively, stepping carefully around the spot the Bellsprout had vanished.

The Pikachu knocked her on the skull with the blunt of its tail. "Of course it understood you; we Pokémon know more of your language than you do of ours! Now stop taking such large steps all the time; it makes me feel like I'm riding on a wobbly-legged Ponyta foal."

"Should I try to catch it?" Reena said hesitantly, gulping nervously.

Though she could not see the Pikachu's face herself, Reena swore that Chikai's ever-present scowl had already deepened considerably. "What do you need another Grass Pokémon on your team for?" it demanded sharply. "You'll make poor Rebelle feel inadequate! Now start walking so we can make it out of this field before dusk!"

"It's just that," Reena said reluctantly, picking up the pace once more. "It's just that I really do need some more Pokémon. Having just Rebelle and Nibbles is going to get harder and harder. If Richie didn't let me use Chel in Cerulean, I would have never won that match."

"Pokémon are everywhere," Richie said knowledgably. "It's not catching them all that counts the most, Satoshi. You need to find the ones that you know you can work with and befriend."

"If Satoshi is anything near a decent trainer," Chikai grumped. "All Pokémon will be able to work with and befriend him."

Reena said nothing, but put a hand in her pocket to touch the three PokéBalls she had bought with Misty's prize money. By this point in the Pokémon game, she would have already caught enough Pokémon to fill a Box or two on the PC. Having only two made her feel ridiculously like the character Ash Ketchum, whose training and capture methods she had always derided.

They had been walking another half-an-hour or so in silence when Reena that same brown blur streaked across the side of her vision. This time, she turned as quickly as she could, just in time to discern a pair of pointy ears and claw-like paws before the thing disappeared again.

"Guys, I think there's some kind of Pokémon following us," she said excitedly.

"A Pokémon, now that's a shocking discovery!" Chikai said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "These overgrown fields are so cluttered with wild Pokémon, and we all know how peculiar a sight we make slogging along like this."

"Chikai, you know I need more Pokémon," Reena said, all weariness evaporating to be rapidly refilled by excitement. "What am I supposed to do, is there some special kind of protocol, should I ask it first...?"

"Asking?" Richie repeated. "I think that's a good idea. Try it, Satoshi."

"Don't..." Chikai started, but Reena had already cupped her hands around her mouth and was calling out into the field.

"I know you're following us, and I'd really like to battle you!" she yelled quickly. "That is, I'd like to capture you so you could be on my team. I'm just a new trainer, and I could really use you, whoever you are! There, how was that?" she inquired, turning to Chikai and Richie.

The Pikachu slumped down, ears dropping over the sides of Reena's cap. "I think you just about destroyed any respect this so-called Pokémon might have had for us," it informed her flatly. "Now the only Pokémon who'll actually want to be on your team will join just so that they can laugh at...oomph!"

"Chikai!" Reena yelped as the Pikachu went flying off her head to land in a nearby bed of grass stalks. "You okay?"

"Okay enough to give that impudent little monster a piece of my mind!" Chikai seethed, springing to its feet. "Drat, where'd it go!"

"Over there!" Richie called, pointing to that same tan blur Reena had seen before, now zooming away from the trainers and blinking out of sight. It appeared again, not one foot away from Richie's face.

Reena watched curiously as Richie craned his neck about to follow the path of the blur. The mystery Pokémon got the better of him at last, zipping so high through the air that Richie leaned far back enough to fall, laughing, into the grass.

Reena shook her head, resisting the urge to laugh herself, when an invisible hand scooped her up and threw her backwards. Spitting out a mouthful of grass and scrambling to her feet, Reena froze, having come face to face with the mystery Pokémon at last.

Inches away from her own face, a tan-colored Pokémon floated in midair, encased in a flickering purple aura. Clawed arms crossed in front of it and half-slit eyes glimmering in amusement, the Abra performed an intricate somersault, landing so that its feet barely skimmed the top of the grass.

"If there's one thing I've suffered from most," Chikai groaned. "It's a Psychic with a strange sense of humor. Well, what are you waiting for?" it snapped at a perplexed Reena. "It seems as if that Pokémon has accepted your challenge."

"Oh, right!" Fumbling in her pocket for Rebelle's PokéBall, Reena pitched it in the Abra's direction. Swerving agilely away as the Chikorita tore into the field with a snap of vine whips, the Abra sized up the situation almost lazily before blinking out of sight.

"It Teleported away!" Reena said angrily. "You'd think if it accepted my challenge, it would at least bother to stay and battle!"

Shaking its head in bemusement, Rebelle padded through the field, grass parting submissively before it, back towards its trainer. Just as a blur of tan claws materialized out of thin air, sending the Chikorita tumbling backwards.

"For a Pokémon that's stereotypically so sleepy," Richie remarked with interest, "that Abra seems awfully energetic."

"Show-off," Chikai sniffed dismissively as the Abra danced mockingly around Rebelle, Teleporting out of reach whenever the Chikorita drew too close. With every futile move, Rebelle grew more and more agitated. As the Abra's tan form twinkled into existence just above its nose, Rebelle gave a wild screech of frustration, throwing out its vine whips and batting the Psychic Pokémon to the ground.

Eyes glowing sulkily, the Abra's aura flared, signaling another Teleport attack. But not before Rebelle lowered its head leaf, crying out in determination.

Almost instantly, a fragrant scent filled the field, along with a fine haze of sparkling powder emanating from the Chikorita's leaf. Reena felt dazed for a moment, then so utterly peacefully that she sank to her knees in the tall grass. The Abra's psychic aura was fading, and its glowing glare dimmed into a stupefied gaze of bliss.

"Rebelle's Sweet Scent did the trick," Richie hissed, nudging Reena quickly in the shoulder. "Now's your chance."

Shaking off the pacifying effects of the Sweet Scent attack, Reena yanked a PokéBall from her pocket, fingering it briefly before hurling it in the Abra's direction. She held her breath as the PokéBall clicked open and the Abra melted into a flash of red light and was sucked into the PokéBall. The silver button on the PokéBall's exterior lit up briefly, then faded, lit up, then faded again...

"It's tough," Richie said, shaking his head as the Ball sprang open and the Abra emerged once more. The PokéBall Reena had thrown fizzled, then disintegrated into a puff of smoke.

Reena was ready with another PokéBall in her hand. Hoping Abra was still under the effects of Rebelle's attack, she flung the second ball in its direction.

Abra disappeared into the Ball once more, which fell to the ground with a light thud. This time however, Reena abandoned all dignity and ran forward through the grass. Throwing herself onto the ground, she clamped both hands around the PokéBall, struggling to keep it shut as the silver button lit, then faded, lit, then faded, lit again...

The Pokémon was still fighting her, struggling to break the ball apart. Biting her lip until she could taste the sting of blood, she screwed her eyes shut, pressing down with every bit of strength she could muster.

"That," Chikai announced, breaking into Reena's fog of concentration, "is possibly the most pathetic tactic I have ever seen a trainer try."

Opening her eyes, Reena saw that the silver button had faded for good and that the PokéBall lay still in her hands at last. Having been awakened rather rudely, Nibbles arched its small back and hissed furiously enough for the rage of a full-grown Gyarados.

"Ouch! Nibbles, ouch!" Reena yelped as the Pokémon's flailing body slapped her in the side of the face repeatedly. "Hey!" she yelled over to Richie and Chikai, who were both staring at her with very strange looks on their faces. "It worked, didn't it?"

* * *

Chikai took great pleasure in cocking its ear to the PokéBall translating the newly-caught Abra's petulant comments as the sky shifted into a vibrant red, then faded into the dark blue of late evening. Sullen at having been bested at last, the Pokémon refused to emerge from its Pok­éBall, even after Reena had coxed and begged.

Nibbles, who had been sleeping peacefully until Reena had thrown herself onto the ground, was in a distinctly cross mood. It chattered its teeth whenever Reena tried to pet it, and remained curled around her neck like a choker.

"Next time you get a sudden urge to announce to the world that you are a new trainer," Chikai told Reena for the umpteenth time, "don't do it. Else you're going to wind up with oddballs like your friend in there, who find it most amusing to make difficult for the rest of us." It gestured at the PokéBall Reena was clutching doggedly in her hand.

"Aeri is a perfectly good Pokémon. You're just upset because it hit you when you weren't looking," Reena answered loyally, using the dub Chikai had recommended because it was, as the Pikachu claimed, "the closest thing you can get to its real name without screwing it up."

Something brown shot across the edge of her vision, and Reena half-turned, expecting to see another wild Abra following behind them. But the second Pokémon, if that was indeed what it was, dipped out of sight before she had a chance to examine it, leaving her to rub her eyes and complain sullenly of tiredness and hallucinations.

"Okay, so this is it," Richie announced as the gang stumbled to the edge of Route 5's grassy fields. Pushing his way past the final tangle of grass stalks, he unfolded a large map from his pocket and scanned over it briefly. Behind him, Reena collapsed onto the ground, laying a grateful head atop the cool, flat dirt. Nibbles spat at her in protest, but Reena was far to tired to apologize.

"I could lie here all week," she proclaimed, stretching out her aching neck and yanking off her sweat-soaked cap. Chikai, for its part, had already scampered up to Richie and was examining the map as well.

"We've got two choices," the Pikachu informed them briskly. "Take the Underground Path to Vermillion City..." It waved a paw to a worn, derelict old shack several yards ahead of them, which, from the looks of things, was going through a very advanced stage of wood rot. Getting to her feet, Reena could just make out a wooden sign with a similar affliction, staked into the ground barely a foot from her face. The black paint had long since been eaten away by rain and wind, leaving Reena to trust Chikai's testimony as to the name of the structure.

"Or we can head several miles east until we reach the gatehouse leading into Saffron City," Richie added, refolding the map. "It's your call, Satoshi. Vermillion and Saffron are both Cites of Asylum."

"Several miles?" Reena gaped, staring forlornly into the knee-high grass, which waved almost tauntingly in the cool evening wind. "It's kind of late, isn't it? Can't we just camp here for the night?"

"That's a possibility, too," Richie said. " 'Course, there are all sorts of Pokémon that come out at night, especially in grassy areas such as these."

"All kinds?" Reena gulped, looking about nervously. "But nothing dangerous, right? Just a couple Bellsprout, some more Abra, Pokémon like that..."

Richie's smile was crooked. "Gloom have been known to appear in the fields of Route 5 at night," he said with a shiver, even though the wind was no fiercer than it had been moments before.

"Gloom? What's so bad about Gloom?"

From its position around Reena's neck, Nibbles gave a convulsive shudder.

Chikai glanced at Nibbles, then Richie's sickly-looking face, before nodding abruptly. "You don't ever want to get too close to Gloom or Vileplume during their nighttime pollination sprees," it said knowledgably. "Things can get very nasty with Stun Spores and so on, and Gloom aren't exactly the nicest smelling of Pokémon."

"Well, we can't walk to the Saffron gatehouse before dark," Reena reasoned, looking into the fading sunset and darkening sky. She glanced rather critically at the rotting shack before them, shrugging resignedly. "What's in the Underground Path?"

So it was that Reena found herself climbing down the shaky stairs in the middle of the shack and rolling out a sleeping bag a little ways into the dirt of the tunnel. Trying her best to ignore the slimy stains on the stone walls and the consistent drip of moisture sounding by her head, she pulled the covers of the bag over her head and waited impatiently for the night to be over.

Breakfast the next morning was in hot debate until Reena managed to scrounge the half-eaten remains of a granola bar from her backpack. She had already parceled out a share towards Chikai when Nibbles lunged forward and wolfed down the remaining pieces, licking its tiny lips in impish satisfaction.

Richie smiled lopsidedly at Reena's look of dismay. "It's not so bad," he said consolingly. "You can go a couple of days without food. A lot of Pokémon trainers are forced to sooner or later. It's not great at first, but you get used to it quickly enough."

"So we might not eat for several days?" Reena said in a pained sort of voice.

"We'll get something to eat in Vermillion."

Reena's stomach rose up in rumbling protest. Nibbles chattered good-naturedly in reply.

There wasn't much light in the Underground Path, save for the fluorescent powder emanating from the wings of Richie's Butterfree. With Happy leading the way with its glowing wings, the trainers and Pokémon made their slow, but steady way journey through the slimy passage.

"I guess no one uses this place much," Reena commented after several minutes of studying the damp, cracked walls and streaks of grime that marked the low ceiling. The same thing that Reena had heard dripping last night was still dripping now, driving her near crazy with its constant _plinks! _of moisture."The Underground Path is a tunnel under Saffron City, right?" she asked after a minute's silence.

From his place beside her, Richie nodded. His face glowed eerily in the fluorescent light, bathed pale green in the streams of sparkling powder that drifted by. "Most trainers like to go directly through Saffron itself to Vermillion City," he explained. "Not many bother with this Path anymore, not unless the gatehouse closes, which _has_ happened several times in the past." Seeing the regretful look on Reena's face, he quickly added, "At least we're not trying to go through that field again. And it's so quite here. So peaceful."

"Can't say much for the scenery though," Chikai commented, head cocked towards the gray of dirty concrete that surrounded them. "Except for your occasional slime blotch or grime painting and...Mew above, what is _that_?"

As Happy's stream of glowing powder floated past the near wall, a jumble of graffiti was revealed, like dark scars marring the lighter concrete. The odor of spray paint still lingered in the air, and Reena glimpsed something at the edge of the tunnel that might have been an empty can. Eyes falling over the wild mess of scribbles and scratchings that now cluttered the wall, Reena shivered.

"What the heck does all this mean?" she asked, eying the messy, spray-painted symbols. "I don't know any Japanese besides..."

"Japanese?" Richie said, breaking in just before Chikai was about to bite Reena on the ear. "I don't know what you mean by Japanese, but that looks an awful lot like Sunspeak."

Nibbles's claws dug deep into the skin of Reena's neck, making her call out in protest. "Ow, Nibbles! But Sunspeak?! If that's Sunspeak, what are we talking in now?"

"League Common." Richie looked a bit less surprised than he might have at Reena's ever-revealed ignorance. "The League wanted to create a uniform language across the different regions a couple years back, and Common's what came out of it. Around here though, there's still a bit of Sunspeak used. Kanto and Johto are old Sunspeak names. So's the name Satoshi. People were supposed to take on Common names when they League changed the language: like Kasumi became Misty."

Reena winced, and snuck a suspicious look at Chikai's back. "Chikai, did you know that when..." She shut her mouth quickly as the Pikachu shot her the death glare.

Turning his head back to the walls of the tunnel, Richie read silently, frown deepening.

"What does it say?" Reena inquired curiously, searching the walls through the flickering light for a picture, a phrase; something she might have a hope of understanding.

"Oh, for Guardian's sake!" Chikai snapped, leaning over the edge of Reena's head to examine the symbols. "I can read Sunspeak as good as anyone! Let's see...slow down, will you!" Grimacing, Reena brought her walk to a standstill and the Pikachu pointed with a single paw. "Yume ga honto ka, honto ga akumu," it pronounced slowly. "Gururi guriri no itsukawa shu yaku."

"What does that mean?"

Richie's voice rose softly up from beside her. "Dreams are reality. Reality will be a nightmare," he recited in a low voice. "Once we assume command."

Reena caught a glimpse of Richie's pale serious face, illuminated briefly in the green, glowing light of the Butterfree's wings. "Look, only crazy people put this kind of stuff up," she said reasonably, picking up the pace and starting down the tunnel once more. "It's probably been here forever, anyway, only nobody's ever bothered to clean it off."

But Richie wasn't budging from his spot beside the wall. Backtracking hastily, Reena arrived in time to see the other trainer point to a spidery line of writing half-hidden in the lower shadows, looking as if it had been marked there not with paint, but with the blunt edge of a rock. "Roketto Dan Yo Eien Ni," Richie read, voice growing softer with every word. "Team Rocket Forever."

And directly below it, Richie indicated a wavering block of Common print even Reena could understand.

**GIOVANNI WILL RETURN.**

* * *

"...hot and humid, just like yesterday. According to the Hoppip, the Kanto and Johto regions are experiencing some of the hottest weather in the last decade. Trainers are advised to stay indoors during this heat surge, especially those in the Cinnabar-Seafoam vicinity..."

Hand slapping off the clock radio, Misty groaned and groggily pulled herself into a sitting position. Shaking off the last remnants of sleepiness and easing her feet onto the cold tile floor, Misty walked into the bathroom, splashed a handful of cold water over her face, and ran a comb through her short orange hair.

It was getting late, she realized, glancing through the window at the already bright sky. But it didn't matter. The Cerulean Gym would stay closed all day, maybe all week if need be.

The weather was certainly not the problem. As hot as it had been the last few days, it always stayed relatively cool by the waterfront. If needed, Misty could invite the trainers inside for a swim or have little Lapra freeze some fruit juice popsicles. But today, Misty didn't feel as if she could handle anymore battles. Her Pokémon needed to rest, and, she had decided resolutely, so did she.

Stepping down the stairs into the lobby of the Gym, Misty cast an eye about for Togei, who was nowhere to be found. Sighing, she walked forward and was on the verge of going back to bed when an audible clearing of the throat issued from the front reception desk.

Misty nearly jumped the rest of the way up the stairs before swerving about and exclaiming, "Tracey! How did you get in here!"

From where he leaned against the desk, the dark-haired Pokémon Watcher surveyed her out of clear, cool eyes. Misty put up a hand before he could answer. "Don't tell me," she sighed wearily. "I'm seriously not up to one of your Watcher know-how tricks now."

"I came through the doors. You didn't lock them last night."

"I didn't?" A harsh laugh rose up from Misty's throat before she could restrain herself. "I guess I didn't, then," she said, still laughing. "And you've been here all night? Either I'm losing it, or we're all...well, never mind that. Come in, Tracey. I haven't seen you in the longest time."

"I'm already inside," the Watcher replied.

Sinking into a chair at the front of the desk, Misty buried her head in her hands and laughed lightly. "I really am losing it, aren't I?" she said. "That's why the Gym's closed today, and probably tomorrow and the day after, too...oh, if my sisters ever found out I'm doing this, they'd kill me for sure. After putting the entire Gym into my hands and everything; they've been waiting for me to say I couldn't handle it, they've been waiting these past two years to snatch it back. The only reason I'm holding onto it now is because the League trusts me to."

Remembering that Tracey was still there at last, Misty broke off and sighed again. "I sorry," she said remorsefully. "I'm pretty sure you didn't come to hear me whine."

"It must be tough running the Gym all by yourself."

Misty nodded mutely. "So what are you here about?" she asked suddenly. "If you're looking for Richie, he already left with that friend of his, and I don't know where they've gone. So there's no point in asking me to feed your stupid obsession."

Tracey blinked. "Obsession?"

Misty threw up her hands in aggravation. "You know perfectly well what I mean, Tracey Sketchit!" she fumed, blood boiling into a fiery temper. "Trying to take Richie captive yourself, claiming a mythical Pokémon helped him escape! Don't think we don't all know about it now! How could you possibly do something so stupid, Tracey? I don't think I've heard the Dragon-master so angry since he was defeated as Champion!"

Tracey remembered the look on Lance's face well enough: a brighter red than even his hair and contorted tightly with rage. It was not so much that the boy had escaped, Tracey knew, but the fact that a mere Pokémon Watcher, stripped of his League uniform and sent away in disgrace, had almost succeeded where the League had not. As he had expected, Tracey had been given a sharp reprimand to keep his nose out of League business from that time forward.

Professor Oak had been there as well, cowering in the shadow of Lance's violent anger. When they'd left the Dragon-master's hall at last, the Professor's face had been twisted in a much more frightening fury than Lance's. And Tracey's sharp eyes had discerned something more, a strong disappointment thinly veiled beneath the rage.

"I did nothing to be ashamed of," Tracey said shortly, bluntly to Misty's face. "Trainer's immunity only applies to League officials. I am no longer a League official."  
Misty laughed, shaking her head sadly. "Don't you see?" she said. "You've caught them in their own silly loophole, and they don't like it a bit." Exhaling deeply, her voice grew quieter as she went on. "Why can't you just forget about the whole thing, Tracey?" Misty asked softly. "What you're trying to do, it'll just provoke them even more. Go back to sketching and measuring and whatever it is that Pokémon Watchers do all day. Like chasing down innocent Pokémon for your little pictures; that must be a nightmare..."

"There are some things I need to know," Tracey said, feeling at last that Misty's mind had wandered off guard. "The boy...Richie. He was at this Gym yesterday, right? He stayed for lunch with his friend?"

"I don't see why you care, Tracey, I really don't," Misty groaned. "Yeah, Richie ate lunch here yesterday. If it counts for anything, he hardly touched his food. Poor kid looks like something the Meowth dragged in and threw back out; so pale, with those great big bags under his eyes..."

"Was he sick, then?" Tracey asked casually, trying not to sound concerned. "Maybe he was too weak to eat, or perhaps he threw up...?"

"I'm no doctor!" Misty said shortly. "All I know is that Richie looked terrible. He should really see a doctor, not tramp around the fields when it's 100 some degrees Fahrenheit out there. And he's done something awful to his hair; I wouldn't recognize him myself if I didn't know him so well. Boys never know anything about hair, you know."

"True," Tracey agreed, choosing not to take offense, before changing the topic abruptly. "There have been rumors going around about that ex-trainer Gary Oak exploding out of his jail cell," he said nonchalantly. "The Professor's said a word or two about how his grandson battled Richie in the Pokémon League. You don't think Richie knows about Gary, do you?"

"How could he not?" Misty demanded, bracing her hands against the chair arms. "That's the only news that's been flying around for days now: how Gary Oak's on the run and the enormous reward the League's offering for his return. It's so big I wouldn't be surprised if Gary showed up to turn himself in! Poor Richie, no wonder he's so upset..."

"Are Richie and Gary friends, then?"

Misty looked almost indignant on Richie's behalf. "How could you think such a thing?" she asked angrily, eyes flashing blue-green flame. "Richie, he'd feel sorry for a mosquito that got swatted at! Gary, on the other had, would poke fun at the Champion if it weren't for fear of retaliation. And just look where his smart mouth got him, Tracey! In the Unknown Dungeon! If you're not more careful, that's where you're going to end up, too."

_And where Richie himself would have ended up if not for Satoshi Golden, _Tracey silently completed the thought. Courtesy of Tracey Sketchit himself, the boy fugitive now knew far more than he was supposed to. Far more than was needed to make the connection between Gary Oak and himself.

Misty was eying Tracey strangely through her suddenly sorrowful sea-green eyes. How could this cold, analytical stalker bear any resemblance to the friendly and open Pokémon Watcher she had known not too long ago? Working for Professor Oak and the Pokémon League had changed Tracey Sketchit so utterly that Misty barely recognized him. As loyal to the League as she was, Misty still wasn't sure she liked what had happened in the last two years. And not just to Tracey, either.

"I think Richie knew about Gary's escape before I even thought to tell him," she said at last, fingers absentmindedly tracing the embossed design on the back of the chair.

"Why would that be surprising? You said that it's the only news that's been flying around for the last few days, after all."

Shaking her head and slumping down in her seat, Misty shrugged, averting her gaze from Tracey's own. "Richie's been acting strangely ever since he and his friend arrived in Cerulean," she said, in such a soft voice that the Watcher nearly missed her words. "Like his friends thought he was waiting for them at the Pokémon Center when they left to find him. I saw Richie coming out of the Archives building on my way back to the Gym, heading for the Center at a run."

Tracey nodded slowly, excitement welling in his mind. So the reports he had of a brown-haired child pawing through the Archives for records on Gary Oak were confirmed.

_So you're searching for something, Richie, _the Watcher thought silently to himself. _It doesn't come as a surprise, not at all, that you were looking for Gary Oak. Or, for that matter, any trainer who was once in the same predicament as you. _

_So you'll go on your own little search, Richie, and I'll be looking the same answers right along with you. Because, if I'm not mistaken, you're not the only one who's going to be interested in what you'll find. And when you reach the end of this maze, I'll be one step in front of you, and young Gary Oak will be one step behind you. _

_Two Pidgeys, down with one, sharp stone._

_The League couldn't do better itself._

Misty's shrill voice shattered Tracey's reverie. "You haven't been listening to a word I've said, have you?" she demanded heatedly. "About giving up on this whole capture-the-fugitive business!"

Tracey shook his head deliberately. "I've been listening," he replied in a calm, clear voice, pulling away from the desk and walking towards the Gym doors. "And I thank you for your time, Kasumi Waterflower."

"KAH-soo-mee," Misty corrected automatically. "Not Kah-SOO-mee. It drives me crazy, you know, when half the people with Sunspeak names can't even pronounce them properly!"

"Sunspeak names were quite popular awhile back," Tracey said in burst of recollection, pausing at the door. "My father was of Kanto blood; he insisted that I have Sunspeak name as well as a Common one. I can't say it now, for fear of insulting his memory with my own pitiful pronunciation."

"Try. I'll correct you."

"Then you know Sunspeak?"

"No," the Gym Leader replied sharply, catching herself at last. It went without saying that they both knew she was lying.

As Tracey pushed open the door, Misty's voice rose up again, more miserable than Tracey had ever heard her before. "Tracey, don't do it," she said in a tired, tired voice, stumbling to her feet and reaching the door before he had a chance to leave. "Don't go after Richie, okay? You'll just ruin your own life, and Richie's already got enough people trying to ruin his!"

"I told Richie that he would be with his Pikachu soon," Tracey answered curtly, not looking back. "I don't want to have lied him."

But it was already too late for that, Tracey knew as he started down the sidewalk, away from the Cerulean Gym and Misty's plaintive begging. When Richie had asked whether or not his Pikachu Sparky was okay, Tracey couldn't bear to tell the boy the truth.

Paleness, bags under the eyes-Tracey had seen both those symptoms on Richie's own Pikachu. Not to mention the high fever that kept on fading and returning, leaving the Pokémon deathly pale and brightly flushed during respective intervals, the sudden fits of vomiting, and just recently, a gradual deterioration in coordination.

Was it possible, Tracey wondered, for a Pokémon and trainer to be so closely connected that if one was sick, the effects of the illness would slowly overcome the other? It was a fascinating study for a Pokémon Watcher such as himself, but at the moment, it only meant one extremely important realization.

Seeing a doctor wouldn't help Richie to get well. Nothing would. And Tracey sincerely doubted that the League would be concerned over the fate of one fugitive trainer's sick Pikachu.

If Sparky didn't manage to hold on until Tracey could snag Richie and Gary, both trainer and Pokémon would die very slow, painful deaths.

* * *

"Giovanni will return?" Chikai snorted, its bugged-out eyes slowly returning to their customary narrowed glare. "What kind of threat is that! All the regions know that particular crime overlord was taken in all of three years ago. As for Roketto Dan..." It cast a dark scowl over the illuminated portion of the tunnel wall.

"Disbanded the moment their leader was arrested," Richie's voice came from the far side of the tunnel, where he stood with his nervously fluttering Butterfree. Cupping a hand into the air, Richie watched silently as the fine glowing dust from Happy's wings collected in his palm. Then, stretching forward so that the tips of his fingers brushed the cement wall, the trainer smeared the powder over Giovanni's name with one deft stroke.

"Let's go," Richie said quietly, turning away from the luminous stain he had created, now gleaming eerily in the shadows. His walk seemed oddly shaky now, and he stumbled all the more frequently.

Mutely, Reena dashed up and fell into step beside him. "You okay?" she asked Richie hesitantly as they moved down the tunnel.

The trainer managed a sunny smile that belied his pale face, and from its perch atop Reena's head, Chikai rolled its eyes pointedly. "Careful!" it said suddenly, tail snapping into the air and head bobbing towards the ground for a better look. "Something's shifting down there, I can hear it."

Glancing downward, Reena caught sight of her sneakers slipping through the soft dirt and into a neatly-disguised chasm in the tunnel floor. Yelping, she wheeled backwards, grabbing at Richie's arm as she went. Both of them fell back onto the ground, Richie wincing slightly at the unexpected impact and Nibbles squeaking shrilly. Reena barely noticed as the tiny Furret scampered down from her neck and, paws flying, disappeared back the way they had come.

"The floor!" Reena said, pointing at the dark hole that now gaped in front of them. "Somebody laid a trap down here."

Chikai clambered onto the ground and shook its head in disgust. "This hole's probably been here for ages," it remarked acidly, lowering its tail reluctantly. " Dug by the same deluded maniac who wrote on the walls, no doubt. Well, whoever they are, they aren't especially clever. Holes in the ground...that has got to be the oldest trick in the book..."

Staggering to her feet, Reena yelped again as the floor crumbled apart, sending her pitching into the blackness of the pit. She hit bottom with a resounding thud, jolting her shoulder into near dislocation.

Not more than a few feet away, Richie and Chikai both struck the dirt at the same time. Chikai had managed to snag a handhold in the side of the hole and used it to swing nimbly down. Richie, however, crashed directly against the bottom of the pit.

"Richie?" Reena called into the darkness, twisting about frantically. "Chikai? Nibbles, where are you?" Turning her face to the ceiling of the tunnel, she thought she could catch a glimpse of Happy's fluttering wings. But there was nowhere near enough light to see by down here.

A flurry of footfalls sounded next to her. "I'm fine," the Pikachu said quickly. "But Richie hit the ground hard, and he's not getting up."

"What do you mean he's not getting up!" Scrambling forward on her hands and knees, Reena's outstretched hand brushed the other trainer's cold face. "Richie, please get up and call Happy so we can get out of this hole and find Nibbles!" she pleaded, reaching for his arm "Richie, please get up!"

Chikai's voice broke through the air, closer than before. "Is he breathing?"

"Of course he's breathing!" Reena cried into the darkness. "He couldn't have hit the ground that hard!"

An enraged bellow sounded from the top of the hole, accompanied by a muffled beating of wings. Shaking Richie's arm desperately, Reena cowered against the side of the hole as a low, rasping voice hissed down, like so many rattling twigs in a howling wind.

"Pikachu?" the voice croaked, echoing against the low ceiling. "Ayieeh! Pikachu here!"

The cheeks under Chikai's faded fur paled as the voice rose into a shrill, ear-piercing hiss of a cackle.

* * *

Grunt the Rocket might have had another name, in a lifetime long ago. But there was no one around to remind him of it now-there hadn't been for years. Then again, Grunt couldn't count so well without taking off his shoes and socks. He'd lost track of the innumerable days in the still, dripping darkness long ago.

At any rate, Grunt had been waiting in the tunnel for a long time. Waiting for that loud girl and whiny boy with the talking kitty-cat to come and take him back to the other place. They'd come back for him, Grunt was sure of it. As soon as he found Pikachu for them, they'd come.

Pikachu, Pikachu-that was all they had been able to talk about. Grunt had understood that part well enough. So he'd dug the hole, covered it up just like the loud girl and whiny boy had shown him before, and bit his fingernails to stubs waiting for Pikachu to come. And all that hard work and nerve-grinding patience had finally paid off. The Pikachu trainer and his friend had fallen right into the trap!

"Pikachu here! Pikachu here!" Grunt crowed, stepping out from his hidey-hole in the shadows. There was a sudden whirl of wind around him and a flash of glowing wings, slamming him right back against the wall. Reflexively, Grunt reached into the pocket of his ragged uniform and flung that little white-and-red ball against his attacker.

The bug thing that had beat its wings at him drew back as the ball popped open in a flash of light. Grunt grinned triumphantly as a broad-winged bat creature appeared from the middle of the light, gnashing its sharp fangs at the glowing bug. It had taken a while for him to figure out that you had to throw the ball to make the big monster inside come out and gnash its teeth like that, but he hadn't forgotten since.

Squealing shrilly, the glowing bug wheeled away and raced down the tunnel on its luminous wings, one of its antennae bitten nearly through. It left a shining trail of drifting powder behind it, which the bat creature rapidly tore after.

Calmly, Grunt raised the white-and-red ball and tapped the silver button on its side. And _poof! _the bat creature vanished, just like that! Grunt giggled hysterically, holding the ball close by in case the mean glowing bug decided to come back and bash him against the wall again. Only once he was certain that the bug thing would not return did Grunt snap on his old flashlight and lean over the edge of the pit, peering inside expectantly.

Down, very far down, a black-haired trainer with a black and yellow cap crouched in the dirt beside another boy, who wasn't moving. Grunt swelled with rage when he recognized the non-moving boy as the one who had smeared icky powder all over the Boss's special mark. Grunt was proud of all his marks, but he had labored extra long to make that mark for the Boss. And that little twerp had walked right up and rubbed over it, cool as you please.

"Pikachu mine!" he announced loudly, shining the flashlight onto the face of the black-haired trainer, who held an arm against the sudden light.

"There's no Pikachu here!" the trainer called back loudly. "No Pikachu!"

Squinting hard, Grunt could just make out a glimpse of yellow half-hidden behind the capped trainer's back. "You lie!" he hissed angrily, flashlight dropping to the ground beside him. "Fool me you not! Pikachu I see when come you to trap of mine. Pikachu I see into trap fall!"

"You've got to get us out of here!" came the same trainer's pleading voice. "My friend is hurt really bad!"

Grunt stuck out his tongue, even though he knew the trainer couldn't see it. "Serves him right, it does," he said matter-of-factly. "Icky blotch on mark of Boss he make. Bad, evil boy is he."

"Evil?" the Pikachu trainer said incredulously. "You should talk about evil! You're part of Team Rocket, aren't you? Who are you, anyway?"

Grunt puffed out his chest proudly. "Me am a Team Rocket member kind of guy!" he proclaimed. "Name of Grunt! Pikachu mine, hear you? Now to Grunt Pikachu belong, not to little trainer you." Taking the white-and-red ball, Grunt pressed in the silver button, giggling again as the bat creature came out. Its huge, gaping mouth snapped viciously open and closed, but Grunt knew that it would not bite him. He didn't know how he knew, considering how little he remembered before the tunnel.

Ah, but what did that matter? "Pikachu, you get!" Grunt commanded the bat creature, pointing one grubby finger into the dark hole. The monster bared its teeth irritably at him, to which Grunt waved a nonchalant hand. Wings flapping, slow with reluctance, the bat lowered itself cautiously into the pit.

"Get away!" the trainer yelled sharply to the approaching monster. "Get out or my Pikachu will shock you!"

Shock you? Grunt frowned, trying hard to remember. Yes, that was right. When Pikachu got mad, it was supposed to shock people. The loud girl, whiny boy, and their talking kitty had complained frequently about that. Well, Grunt wasn't about to take any chances, not when he was so close to winning. Quickly, he held up the ball and made the bat monster disappear. Far below, he could hear the Pikachu trainer heave a sigh of relief.

"Me a Team Rocket member kind of guy," Grunt called down gruffly. "But me also a nice kind of guy." Turning back and scampering down the tunnel, Grunt rummaged through the grubby contents of his hidey-hole and ran back with a smooth tarnished ball clutched in his hands. "Got me a nice ball, I do," he announced, holding the ball over the hole. "You put Pikachu in monster ball, trade for monster ball of mine, 'kay? Trade is fair, we trade."

The Pikachu's trainer's voice rose up from the pit, wary, but curious all at once. "What monster ball?" the trainer demanded loudly.

Grunt's thin lips curved into a sly smile. "Special monster ball have I," he said, stroking his scraggly beard in musing. "Very special monster ball I have for long, long time. No other monster ball like monster ball of mine."

"I can't see anything from down here," came the flat reply.

Grunt held the monster ball in front of him gleefully. "Oh, very nice monster ball," he proclaimed loudly, polishing it up on the corner of his dirty gray uniform. "Pretty colors. Sparkly. Found in mine pocket, did I long time ago."

"What?" the trainer said skeptically. "I don't get it."

"Monster ball!" Grunt cried impatiently. "Special monster ball of mine. I work hard to keep special monster ball. When Team Rocket a-come, try take monster ball, from them I hide. Catch me, they do, but trainer come. Trainer come, chase bad Team Rocket away."

The Pikachu trainer was silent for a moment, then said, "But I thought you said you were part of Team Rocket. Why did you hide from them?"

"Now me a Team Rocket member kind of guy!" Grunt screeched, beating his arms against the ground. "Me no hide from Team Rocket no more! Powerful is Team Rocket, the world they will rule! Return will I, to hideout of Team Rocket on island...island of Cinnabar!"

Grunt's eyes grew wide and he clamped a hand over his mouth in surprise. Never, never had he been able to remember that! Not for all his time in the tunnel, waiting and watching.

"Team Rocket is on Cinnabar Island?" the trainer said in a breathless voice. "You mean they're still around?"

Whimpering softly, Grunt screwed his eyes shut, trying his hardest to remember. "No," he answered at last. "On island of Cinnabar Team Rocket is no more. Work there, I did, long ago. Huge explosion come, blow up building! Boom! Boss very mad, Boss go after...go after..."

Suddenly, Grunt's eyes bulged. He fell back against the ground, body writhing as if struck by some invisible hand over and over. "No! No!" he screamed, clutching at his forehead. "Get out! Get away from head of mine! Good I will be! Tell nobody, I will! Remember no more do I! Swear to you, remember no more do I!" Sobbing hysterically, Grunt stumbled to his feet, body trembling, and tore down the tunnel. His precious monster ball fell from his hands onto the ground as he ran blindly, still sobbing, into the darkness.

"Remember no more do I!" he repeated over and over again, stumbling across the uneven dirt. His screeching cries, ringing through the air and echoing against the low walls, did nothing to appease the hidden demons that had lain so long in his head.

Reena tried hoisting herself up the side of the hole as soon as the Rocket's screams had faded. A clod of earth crumbled under her hand, throwing her back down in a rain of dirt and small pebbles. "Poor Happy and Nibbles," Reena lamented, wincing at the scrapes on her knees and elbows. "I hope that Rocket man didn't hurt them."

"You should be thinking about us!" Chikai retorted, eyeing the precipitous drop with a grim look. "How in the region are we going to get out of this mess?"

"Rebelle's vine whips, are they long enough?" Reena was on the verge of suggesting, when Chikai held up a paw for silence.

"Do you hear that?" it asked sharply, ears twitching.

Cocking her head to the side, Reena strained to hear something other than the constant drip of water. Sure enough, a low, melodious coo sounded high above their heads, this time accompanied by a light rustle of feathers.

Reena moved back as a small winged shape fluttered down from the edge of the pit, cooing softly as it came. She was even more surprised when she saw that someone had affixed a miniature flashlight to the creature's feathered neck. Landing lightly on the ground beside Richie's body, the winged creature hopped forward and pecked curiously at the trainer's limp arm.

"He's out cold but breathing," Reena said breathlessly, coming forward from where she and Chikai crouched in the shadows. "We all need to get out of this hole, as soon as possible. And if you've seen a Butterfree or little Furret anywhere around, we need to find them, too."

Outline barely visible in the dim light, the creature, a young Pidgey she realized at last, gave her a reassuring coo before launching itself back into the air. Reena crossed her fingers hopefully as the Pokémon and its little flashlight disappeared.

Moments later, a thick, somewhat frayed, rope fell into the pit inches away from Reena's arm. The Pidgey was at her side in the blink of an eye, training its flashlight on the side of the hole.

"Pid-gee!" it chirped, head bobbing towards the rope. "Pid-gee'gee!"

Reena threw up her hands helplessly. "I can't climb ropes, even in gym class!" she cried, paralyzed by just the thought. "And what about Richie?"

Cocking a beady eye in her direction, the Pidgey gave Reena a disapproving cluck. Cooing impatiently, it fluttered forward and pecked at Reena's arm until she yanked it out of reach.

"Okay, okay!" she shouted over the Pidgey's loud chirping. "I'm going!"

The Pidgey fluffed its feathers skeptically before relenting.

Gulping nervously, Reena stepped forward and eyed the long climb to the top of the pit with a sinking feeling. Vowing silently not to look down, she took hold of the rope in both hands and started to climb.

* * *

_"It was around three years ago. Team Rocket was up to no good with Pokémon. But justice prevailed-a young kid broke 'em up."_

****

-G/S civilian, shortly before a resurgence of Rocket activities

* * *

**_Notes: _**_The graffiti markings are lyrics from the Japanese Pokémon song_ "Roketto Dan Yo Eien Ni."_ Yep, Sunspeak is Japanese, while League Common is English; that was my halfhearted attempt to reconcile the Japanese and US versions of the anime. Both the Underground Path and Rocket Grunt are taken from the Pokémon game (G/S, I think? It's been too long). If you remember the Grunt, then you'll know what his "special" thing is._


	10. DREAMER

**9. DREAMER**

* * *

_"The gift to dream and make dream real,  
Is yours and mine.__"_

* * *

_I'm walking, walking leisurely across a vast black expanse. Every time I take a step, the air shimmers underneath my feet, forming wispy tendrils of silvery fog. Fog shouldn't be able to hold me up, but I never think about falling. As long as I keep my eyes trained on the darkness ahead, away from my hovering feet and the mist forming around my legs, I know that I won't fall. Not as long as I don't think about it._

_I'm not sure where I'm going as I move deeper into the blackness before me. Gradually, small scintillating pricks of light appear in the darkness, faraway stars glimmering in a night sky. I try to play my little game, picking out pictures in the sky, but everything looks the same here. _

_So I pretend. I pretend the stars are growing and bigger, chasing away the dark until I am surrounded in a sea of light. And as I pretend in my head, the darkness around me disappears and stars swell until I am blinded by their radiance._

_Something's coming out of that radiance. Two black eyes wink at me, a long lightning-bolt tail waves in my face. The Pikachu prances in a circle, nose quivering impatiently, before dashing back into the light from which it came._

_Calling after it, I break into a run._

* * *

Reena, despite her renewed determination, quickly discovered that her rope-climbing skills had not miraculously improved since her last gym class. The rope burned her palms raw every moment of the climb. New footholds were difficult to find and even harder to hold onto. Gritting her teeth, Reena winced for the umpteenth time as the rope slipped from her hands, sending her crashing several feet back to earth.

"Pid-gee!" the bird Pokémon cheeped, wings fluttering impatiently in an attempt to rouse Reena up again. "Gee! Pid-gee!"

From its crouch at Richie's side, Chikai rolled its eyes at Reena's dirt-streaked face.

"I'll just try again," Reena said fiercely, tackling the rope with a clenched jaw and pounding heart. And, once again, falling into a heap at the bottom of the pit.

Twittering with irritation, the Pidgey shot into the air, leaving several dun brown feathers in its wake. Reena stared dumbly at the fallen plumage, a sudden realization dawning upon her.

"You really can't climb ropes, can you?" a young feminine voice came from the edge of the hole. Moments later, the Pidgey was flapping back anxiously, followed by a small girl shimmying down into the pit. This girl ignored the rope completely, effortlessly using the uneven groves in the hole's steep sides as handholds. Shoving thick, green-blue hair from her face and barely giving Reena a glance as she touched down on earth, the girl strode up to Richie's unconscious body and looked directly into Chikai's eyes.

"Beat it, cutie," she said, sticking out her tongue at the Pikachu. Black eyes flashing, Chikai grudgingly stepped away. Reena stared disbelievingly as the small girl's hand lashed forward, deftly pulling a PokéBall from Richie's pocket. The pale-blue star on its side caught Reena's eye before the PokéBall was flung into the air.

Its occupant screeched as soon as it emerged, its long navy wings crowding Reena and Chikai against the back of the pit. Reena gulped as the Swellow's yellow beak jabbed blindly in her direction, the unruly feathers of the Pokémon's head repeatedly brushing her jacket.

"Rose!" the girl cried, throwing a hand over the Swellow's neck. "Cut it out, Rose! Richie's in trouble, and you've got to calm down!"

Casting a shrewd eye towards the girl's small face, the Swellow quieted its distressed cries and tucked its wings against its sides.

Digging into her own pocket, the girl yanked out a PokéBall and popped it open with a flick of her wrist. "Megadit, Transform into Rose!" she commanded as the blobby pink Pokémon oozed onto the floor of the pit.

"Dit-to!" Small eyes narrowing in concentration, the Ditto's body took on a flickering pink glow. The Pokémon's indeterminate form stretched and contorted until an exact replica of Richie's Swellow was hovering in the air above them.

Exact, that was, save for the fact that it was considerably larger.

"You ever fly before?"

It took Reena several seconds to realize the question was directed towards her. "Not on a Pokémon," she replied, gulping.

The green-haired girl's small face cracked into a smile. "Then today's your lucky day," she proclaimed, shoving Reena in the Transformed Ditto's direction. "Go on, and take your Pikachu with you. Megadit doesn't bite."

Behind the girl's head, the Pidgey's miniature flashlight bobbed up and down as the Pokémon fought to restrain its twittering.

Lowering its neck as Reena and Chikai approached, the enormous Swellow let the two onto its back with little complaint. Then, with a shrill cry in its throat, it beat its long wings into a miniature whirlwind and threw itself headlong into the air.

Reena nearly choked on her own scream. Instead, she buried her face in the Pokémon's thick plumage, refusing to open her eyes as the air spun wildly beneath her. She didn't notice that the rocking had stopped, that they had come to a standstill only seconds later, until a sharp smack on the head sent her tumbling to the ground.

"Not the whackie bat," Reena croaked groggily from her sprawled position on the floor of the tunnel. She had bumped her head on something hard when she fell, and the pounding headache that was now slamming against her skull made it difficult to say much more.

"An Electabuzz fan's always got a bat or two handy!" Casey said, brandishing the accessory in question above Reena's face. All Reena could actually make out was a yellow and black blur, accompanied by the dusky blue blobs that had to be Casey's swinging pigtails. The yellow blur moved closer, sending Reena bolting hastily into a sitting position for fear of a second whack. As she did so, her hand brushed a smooth, round object nestled between her body and the wall of the tunnel.

_What's this? _she thought curiously, turning the object over in her hand.

"Free! Fer'ree!"

"Happy!" Reena yelled in surprise. A familiar wash of glimmering green powder filled the air as the Butterfree zipped past, swerving about in anxious circles as its unconscious trainer emerged from the pit, borne on the back of the enormous Ditto-Swellow. Rose, the real Swellow, hovered anxiously at his side. As for the girl with the thick green hair, she clambered up the side of the pit, not far behind.

"Casey, get Richie to the nearest city, pronto!" she barked commandingly. "Take Megadit; it's the best we've got!"

The other girl saluted promptly with her bat. "Yessir, Imite, sir!" Hopping nimbly onto the false Swellow's back behind Richie, Casey dug her heels not so gently into the bird Pokémon's side. The gigantic Swellow-Ditto shot down the tunnel, wings folded to keep them from clipping the sides. Happy went zipping after them, emitting a wave of glowing powder as it flew.

"You don't hafta look so worried, you know," the girl, Imite, told Reena. Holding out a hand, a blobby pink Pokémon squeezed out of a pocket and sprang onto her arm, followed closely by the flashlight-bearing Pidgey. "Richie's not dead yet. Casey's pretty loose-handed with that bat of hers, but she's steadier than a Golem in a barrel of Pikachu when she has to be. And for my big buddy Megadit, that goes without saying." She snuck a second glance at Reena's miserable face and shrugged, working furiously to brush a streak of dirt from her bright red shirt. "Of course, if you're still worrying about that li'l striped rat of yours..."

"Nibbles!" Reena exclaimed as the mini Furret poked its head from Imite's backpack. It gave a squeal of delight before leaping onto Reena's shoulder, giving her a stern, but joyful, lick. The words "It's about time you got here!" were accusingly written all over its furry face.

Turning back to the other girl with Nibbles on her shoulder and Chikai behind her feet, Reena gave Imite an accusing, but puzzled, look. "You've been following us, haven't you?" she said. "That Pidgey of yours; I saw it in the field after I caught Aeri. And Richie's Pokémon know you, too."

Grinning broadly, Imite took a deep, elaborate bow, the tips of her thick green hair brushing the prominent yellow star on the front of her shirt. "Allow me to introduce myself and my companions," she said with a dramatic flourish of the hand. "My blotchy buddy here is the clever, cool, and constantly contortin' Ditto!"

"Di-ditto!" the Pokémon squeaked, waving its pink limbs.

"And my avian amigo here, the Carrier Pidgey extraordinaire, goes by the name of Zeal..."

"Gi!" the Pidgey chirped, bobbing its head politely. Nibbles let out a chattering giggle in response.

The girl's grin widened. "And you, Satoshi Golden," she announced, "have the distinct honor of addressing the one and only Duplica Imite! Form one line, please, no shovin', no pushin', would you like your autograph small, medium, or to fill the entire page?"

_Richie, _Reena thought silently, _you really do have some weird friends._

* * *

_I've never been able to run so fast and so long before! Mist is streaming from my heels, leaving a milky white path in my wake, but I don't notice. At least, I don't stop long enough to take a good look._

_The light flares across my eyes, blinding me temporarily as I speed forward. Then there's this sudden flash and the air twists in upon itself. I'm falling, plummeting feet first into space. Wind fills my ears in a deafening rush, but I don't flail my arms. Don't struggle. Keeping my arms perfectly still at my sides, I let myself fall into the light._

_The air twists again, and this time my feet are resting firmly upon the vibrant green of a grassy hillside. The wind is balmy and light, blowing across my face and through my hair as I inhale, deeply and fully. Everything here is picture book perfect, from the crystal blue hues of the cloudless sky to the gentle dips of the emerald green hill._

_The Pikachu appears again ahead of me, prancing against the blue, blue sky. And before my eyes, its gaze seems to grow brighter, the tuft of fur on its head seems to become more defined. It's Sparky, as carefree as it ever was before our battling days._

_Running forward and calling out again, I catch another glimpse of Sparky, racing up the nearest hill. Always one step ahead of me, always one leap away. Laughing happily, I sprint after it, never growing tired, never growing angry or frustrated._

_Suddenly, Sparky stops, ears twitching in the breeze. I stop, too, mind numbing at the sight before me._

_At the very top of the hill is a little girl in a baggy yellow dress. So big and baggy that she looks almost lost underneath its folds. And as I stand there, all the laughter wiped from my face, the girl turns slowly and tilts her head back. Slowly, ever so slowly. _

_"Hi, Richie," she says, giggling in her little-girl voice. "You forgot, didn't you?"_

* * *

"Comatose? Whatcha mean by comatose!"

Sighing irritably, the young Vermillion City nurse leaned one elbow over the counter and tried to catch a better glimpse of her reflection in the lobby mirror. Her neatly pinned loops were coming undone now, sending wisps of pink hair to float prettily about her face. Not that bad an effect, if she did say so herself. Of course, there was only so far one could go with this look without seeming shabby...

"Hey! You listening to me or what?"

The nurse rolled her eyes in annoyance as the speaker, a young girl in a hideously yellow outfit, began to jump up and down, blocking her view of the mirror. "Look, honey," the nurse said in a bored voice, "sometimes these people wake up from their comas, and sometimes they don't. Your friend is receiving the best of care as we speak."

"Best of care?" the girl cried, blue pigtails swinging across her shoulders. "He's lying on a couch in the lobby!"

"Honey, didn't you read the sign outside? This is a Pokémon Center. We treat Pokémon here, not humans." The girl started to blurt something out indignantly, but the nurse held up a hand. "Oh no, don't tell me," she said tiredly. "I know the hospital's full. It's always been full, thanks to that musclehead who runs the Vermillion City Gym. Lt. Surge, they call him. Well, don't mind me, but with the Lieutenant around, there's no need for a war to kill us all off. Surge sends half the people in this city to the emergency room every day, with his so-called Gym battles. Blew the roof right off the Gym once and buried the streets in shrapnel. You're not a challenger, are you, honey?"

Casey shook her head but said nothing.

"Thank the Champion," the nurse mumbled, scrutinizing her nails thoroughly and pulling out a bottle of polish. "That last one was a killer. Just this morning, too. A boy with the dirtiest red hair beat the Leader. Surge was so mad that he short-circuited the city power lines. And he didn't even bother to lend us his electric Pokémon so we could restore the power; we had to have some shipped in from Cerulean..."

She went on in this vein for quite a while, never once looking up from her careful application of the nail polish, never once noticing that Casey had disappeared across the grungy tile floor to the other side of the room. The Vermillion nurse had never been much of a housekeeper; indeed, the only thing in the Pokémon Center that was regularly cleaned was the spotless lobby mirror.

The upholstery, shabby and hopelessly lumpy, was no exception, but Casey made do the best she could. Taking a perch on the chair beside Richie's still body, she put her hands on her knees and leaned forward. "Maybe you've been batting mostly fly balls," the pigtailed girl said fiercely. "But we haven't made it into the bottom of the ninth yet. Like my grandpa always said, 'It ain't over till it's over,' and this is far from being over. Hear that, Richie? Well, you better have! I've got my whackie bat right here, and I'm not afraid to use it!" She brandished the object in question right above Richie's head.

Was it Casey's fanciful imagination, or did the edge of the trainer's mouth really curve downward in a faint grimace?

* * *

"Phew! It _is _hot, isn't it!"

Though she said it with a pronounced grimace upon her face, Duplica Imite's voice was bright and her gait bouncy with energy Reena couldn't help but goggle at. Pokémon journeys had never brought to mind endless fields and festering blisters before, leaving Reena to chastise herself repeatedly for being so naïve. Or not having a faster mode of transportation. At the sweltering, foot-aching, blister-bursting moment, she didn't exactly care which.

"Pidge-y! Gi'gi!" Zeal the Carrier Pidgey tweeted as it dipped through the air above Duplica's shoulder.

"Gi pid'gi. Pi, gey'pidge-gi!" Duplica chattered right back, imitation flawless.

"You understand what that Pokémon's saying?" Reena asked with perked interest.

" 'Course I do!" Duplica answered. "That's one of the things about learning how to imitate sounds, you gotta learn the language along with, or else you don't know who you're insultin'. Hey, could ya walk a little faster now? Don't know about you, but I'm opting for a nice juicy cheeseburger once we hit Vermillion. Haven't eaten since lunch, you know."

Reena's stomach complained bitterly about the skipped meal. From its renewed spot entwined about Reena's jugular, Nibbles yawned contentedly and smacked its lips.

"You aren't a vegetarian, are you?" Duplica said in the same breath, apparently not caring enough to pause for the answer. "Richie and Casey had this whole don't-be-cruel-to-Miltank fetish going a couple years back..."

From what Reena could gather (Duplica had a habit of talking a lot and actually saying very little), she, Casey, and Richie had all been friends for the past several years, brought together by their love of the incredibly unlucky, but extremely talented Electabuzz baseball team. Try as she might, Reena just couldn't picture Richie as an avid sports fan, standing up and screaming in a stand of bleachers. She had said so herself to Duplica, who, in turn, had rolled her eyes and given Reena an emphasizing shake of the head.

"See, that's just your problem, Satoshi!" she had insisted, talking so fast that several words slurred together. "You don't know Richie at all! You've only met him like, what, three days ago? That's why Casey and me had to watch out for you two, and make sure you guys didn't run into any trouble."

"So you were following us!" Reena had exclaimed.

Duplica suddenly became very involved in twisting a strand of hair about her index finger. "That's a rather strong accusation there, Satoshi," she had mock-pouted. "Besides, if we hadn't been _watching out_ for you, Happy and li'l Nibblers would've never been able to find a way to get you outta that hole."

Remembering at that exact moment that she _had _had an alternate route out of the hole, her newly-caught Abra's Teleport attack, Reena colored sheepishly and kept her mouth shut. Let Duplica Imite think her ungrateful. Just as long as she didn't also think her stupid.

Duplica kept up the jaunty banter the rest of way to Vermillion City. As they passed a small lake at the edge of the fields, Duplica let out a whoop of delight. "Look!" she shouted, standing on the tips of her toes and pointing excitedly. "You can see the ocean from here!" Laughing happily, she broke into a run, Zeal chirping in objection as it pumped its stubby wings to catch up.

Huge expanses of wooden wharves rose above the stormy waters of the Vermillion Bay, all of which was covered in a flurry of moving crates, nets, and people. Numerous boats, from the tiniest motorboat to the grandest cruiser, were docked in neat rows at the edge of the docks. From her vantage point overlooking the ocean, Reena could see even more ships arriving, tiny dots across the wide bay.

"I bet you're gonna be challenging the Vermillion Leader," Duplica said to Reena as the two children and their Pokémon stepped onto the docks. "Watch out; people say Lt. Surge has got one of the meanest tempers of the Kanto Eight, and he absolutely can't stand losing. You got a strategy for taking him down, Satoshi, or are you gonna wait until we get Richie, so he can help you out?"

Reena winced, mentally hoping that Duplica had not seen the whole of her scantily-won Cerulean battle. "Richie's my coach, after all," she said stoutly. "It wouldn't be right to have a battle without him there to see it."

"And give you strategy tips!" Duplica teased, dancing away from Chikai's thrashing tail. "Oh, c'mon, lighten up already! That's what coaches are for, right? To help you out." Not waiting to hear Reena's response to this remark, the girl quickened her pace to a near run. "I'm starving!" she yelled back over her shoulder. "Soon as pick up Richie and Casey, we are _so _going out for cheeseburgers!"

Cheeseburgers sounded good to Reena. Calling for Duplica to slow down, she tore down the docks after her.

Both of them arrived at the Vermillion Pokémon Center flushed and out-of-breath from the sprint they had just taken. Duplica, energetic as ever, was in the middle of another novice trainer joke when the PokéCenter doors swung suddenly out. Unlucky Duplica was smacked in the head by the door and nearly knocked spinning into the sidewalk.

"This is what I get when I don't look where I'm going," she grumbled, putting a finger to the small bump on her forehead. "Somebody outta warn me when...oh, hey, Casey! What's up?"

One hand still on the doorknob, the pigtailed baseball fan looked immensely relieved to see Duplica and Reena there at last. "It's about time!" she said, grabbing Duplica by the arm and dragging the other girl forcibly into the Center lobby.

"Dit'di?" Duplica's Ditto inquired hesitantly from atop her right shoulder.

"Satoshi, you'd better come, too," Casey called to Reena, who was still standing outside the door. "It's about Richie."

Reena's breath caught in her throat all at once. A sudden, sickly feeling swelled coldly in her stomach, more acrid than even the worst of hunger pangs. As Casey stood there, head bowed and pigtails limp, Reena's heart began to throw itself against her ribs. Once, twice, growing increasingly faster until the pounding became a deafening roar in her ears.

Her own forced voice seemed very, very far away. "He's...he's dead, then," she found her voice squeaking out. "Richie's...dead."

A sharp smack on the head shocked Reena out of her momentary daze. "Don't say things like that!" Casey scowled, whacking Reena with her bat a second time, just to make sure she got the point. "Richie's not _dead_! That's the good news, at any rate."

Frown furrowing her normally cheerful face, Duplica folded her arms and asked Casey the question Reena could not bear to ask herself. "What's the bad news, then?"

* * *

_You forgot, didn't you? Forgot, didn't you? Didn't you? Didn't you? You..._

_The girl's high-pitched giggle echoes in the air, along with her taunting words. Finding my legs at last, I take one step back, then another. The girl laughs again, walking forward to meet me. Trailing a few feet behind her, Sparky comes to stand by her side, head cocked and tail waving amusedly about in the air._

_"I've been waiting, you know," the girl says, throwing back her head to see up into my face. "Waiting forever and ever and ever, thinking that you forgot. But you've remembered at last, and here I am!" Baggy dress trailing on the ground behind her, she takes a seat in the middle of the grass. She giggles as Sparky hops into her lap, the bright healthy yellow of its fur blending with the color of her dress._

_"But I didn't forgot, you see," she tells me, clapping her hands together merrily. Instantly, the sky darkens into the heavy black of twilight. And all above us, tiny twinkling stars pop randomly into the sky. _

_Throwing her head back against the grass, the girl gazes deeply into the star-filled heavens. "That one looks like a Butterfree," she says, pointing with one hand. "And that one's a Pikachu. Definitely a Pikachu. And that one, way up there! That's a Pokémon trainer, a little Pokémon trainer running through the sky, just running and running and..."_

_"Stop it!" I yell, finding my voice at last. "Stop doing this to me! I need to go back now! I need to go back!"_

_The girl sits up with a start, her short, unruly curls swishing against her cheeks. "But, Richie," she says, eyes wide. "You can't go back. You can never go back."_

_Turning my back on her, I tear down the hill and across the field from which I came. But no matter how far or fast I run, I always come back to the hill. And the little girl is always there, her curls blowing in the wind, watching me out of her wide, bright eyes._

* * *

The ceramic bowl hit the cottage door with a loud crash, shattering into dozens of sharp clay fragments. A mortar and pestle set came directly after it, leaving twin dents in the doorframe.

"I told you already, I don't know anything!" the voice from inside the cottage yelled fiercely. "Leave me alone!"

Half-leaning, half-forcing his way against the wooden door, Tracey called out in an authoritative voice once more. "Miss, I just want to ask you a few questions. That's all, I promise you..."

"That's what the last one from the League said, too! They made me tell them about the boy...hurt my Parasect when I refused to tell them anything!" the voice sobbed from inside. "Get off my property!" the cottage's occupant screamed. "Parasect and I have agreed. We don't care what you do to us anymore; we're not going to help you hurt any more children!"

"Miss," Tracey said patiently, interrupted seconds later by another violent crash. He started again, louder than before. "Miss, I swear upon the Champion's name that I will ask you nothing about the boy. I have a sick Pokémon on my hands and need some information about Pokémon medicines that only a pharmacist of your specialty could supply."

This attempt was greeted by a single eye, peering suspiciously through a crack in the cottage door. Tracey stepped back as the door creaked open, revealing a teenage girl dressed in a stained work apron. She squinted through her puffy red eyes at Tracey before easing the door the rest of the way open.

"Aren't you that assistant of Professor Oak's?" she asked suspiciously. "Terry Sketchy or something?"

"Tracey Sketchit," Tracey corrected lightly. "And your name?"

The girl glared at him the way a person might stare at a glob of chewed-up gum stuck to their sneaker bottom. "Cassandra," she said gruffly, not bothering to shake Tracey's extended hand. "Before the League ordered the name change to Common, I was Kiyomi. But I don't expect any League officials such as yourself, _sir_, know a word of Sunspeak."

Tracey bristled at this bitter insult. "I was born as an Orange Islander," he explained deliberately. "I did not grow up in an environment that lent itself towards learning Sunspeak. As for being a League official, I'm afraid to say your charge is incorrect. As the Professor would say, I am a Pokémon Watcher. Nothing more."

"Then you're just like the rest of us," Cassandra said, face softening. "The League always gives non-trainers so much grief. If only somebody would stand up to them for once...but none of us are that stupid. " Laughing bitterly to herself, she spun around and started back into the cottage, beckoning Tracey after her.

Upon entering the small, dimly-lit room, The Pokémon Watcher was instantly overpowered by the strong, pungent scent of dried herbs. A mushroom-bearing Pokémon crouched in the center of the floor, sweeping up pottery fragments into a dustpan with its claws. It scuttled hastily into a corner as Tracey approached, round white eyes peeking fearfully out towards the new arrival.

"It's okay, Parasect," Cassandra said soothingly. "Terry's just a Pokémon Watcher. He's not going to hurt you."

"Tracey," the Watcher interjected.

Cassandra rolled her eyes. "Whatever." Sighing tiredly, she sank down into a chair behind the pharmacy counter, sweeping a cluttered pile of empty bottles off the seat and onto the floor. "You'll have to excuse my manners," she said, vaguely apologetic. "Ever since my grandmother and her Persian passed away last month, I haven't been myself."

Tracey lowered his head politely. "I'm very sorry to hear that," he mumbled.

"I'll take that for all it's worth. Now, you said you wanted some Pokémon medicine? Could you perhaps tell me what kind of Pokémon it's for, or maybe some of the symptoms it's been showing in the last few days?"

Pulling his sketchbook out and flipping open to the correct page, Tracey set the book onto the counter, turning it to face Cassandra. "I've recorded all I can in here," he said, pointing to the neat tables and labeled drawings that accompanied them. "The Pokémon is an adolescent Pikachu. Its trainer calls it Sparky."

Shaking her head in amazement, Cassandra squinted at page after page of Tracey's detailed observations. "These must have taken forever," she said, gazing at one full-page sketch of the Pikachu, shaded in lightly with pencil and meticulously labeled. "Sparky is your Pokémon, I take it?"

"I'm the one who's taking care of it," Tracey said brusquely.

Cassandra didn't bother to question him further. After several more minutes of scanning the Watcher's notes, she laid the sketchbook down, shaking her head in wonder. "It's surprising to me that the Pikachu's still alive now," Cassandra informed Tracey matter-of-factly, getting to her feet. "If you had only gotten it medical attention right away! No ordinary medicine is going to do the trick, at this rate. You need something strong, very strong."

"And you can supply the medicine I need?"

In response, Cassandra ducked through the low door and into the back storage room, her Parasect skittering hastily behind her. It clicked its long claws menacingly at Tracey as it passed, warning the Watcher not to follow. Tracey busied himself examining the aromatic leaves hanging from the cottage rafters, as well as several unlabeled bottles on the nearby shelves, before the pharmacist returned.

"This is the best I can do," Cassandra informed him, plunking a dark glass bottle down on the counter. "I just hope it'll be enough."

Picking the bottle up by the neck and holding it to the light, Tracey slowly read aloud the handwritten label. "Secret Potion? What's that, some kind of herbal remedy?"

Cassandra looked almost apologetic. "I'm not exactly sure what's in it," she admitted. "It's supposed to be a very, very strong potion specially designed to treat electric Pokémon. One of my friends in Cianwood City sent this to me several months ago. I experiment a lot with miracle serums, so she thought I might be interested in the Secret Potion. One of the first tests worked wonders on a sick Ampharos, or so I'm told. But knowledge of the side effects is still kind of hazy; I haven't had much chance to test out the Secret Potion myself, what with Grandma and all..."

"I understand." Setting the bottle back onto the counter, Tracey rummaged through his pockets until he came up with a handful of bills. "How much do I owe you?"

"Owe me?" Cassandra exclaimed in surprise. "I've already told you that the stuff in the Secret Potion is very strong. You could end up killing that Pikachu of yours! There's no way I could make you pay for that."

Tracey shrugged, pocketing both the money and the bottle of medicine in one swift motion. As he stood up to leave, Cassandra's Parasect clanked its claws threateningly in his direction. "But you're not leaving without us," Cassandra finished determinedly for her Pokémon. "Only an experienced pharmacist such as myself should be entrusted to administer that kind of medicine."

Raising his eyebrows at this, Tracey made no movement to stop Cassandra as she threw together a small pack and swung the bag briskly over her back. When she was ready at last, Parasect mumbling nervously to itself beside her, Tracey pushed open the door and waited patiently for them to exit. "If we take the Magnet Train branch out of Cerulean, we can be at the Indigo Pokémon Center by dark," he said, slamming the door shut behind them.

He watched, without a single trace of emotion, as Cassandra's tanned face paled in realization. "You still coming?" he asked after a moment's silence.

Without a word, she nodded and pushed ahead of him.

* * *

_The girl is still sitting at the top of the hill when I collapse, exhausted, into the tall grass. I can hear her breathing as she takes Sparky in her arms and steps towards me, the folds of her dress billowing about in the wind. Slowly, she comes to a standstill over my body, extending a hand down to help me up._

_"You really did forget, didn't you?" she asks softly as I struggle to my feet, ignoring her hand. "Oh, Richie, you promised that you wouldn't."_

_"I didn't promise anything," I reply through gritted teeth. "I didn't promise you anything!"_

_Her voice is softer than before, but steely with conviction. "Oh, but you did," she insists, hugging her arms tighter around Sparky's body. "Try to remember, Richie. Try to remember who I am and what you promised me so long ago." _

_"I don't want to remember." My voice sounds whiny and plaintive even to me._

_The girl shakes her head at me, flyaway curls slapping against her cheeks. Scrambling for a hold atop the girl's shoulder, Sparky looks down at me. The Pikachu is as still as the stone carving I saw at the lighthouse, eyes glinting like flecks of obsidian._

_"But you can't forget," the girl says. "Richie, you've said so yourself that we can learn a lot from losing. That's why you have to remember, or else you'll never learn from what you've lost!" Turning her small face into the wind, the girl inhales deeply, a smile tugging at the edges of her mouth. "You understand now, don't you?" she says expectantly. "Then you know what you've gotta do to save Gary and all those other trainers."_

_"I can't," I whisper weakly. "It's too late for me now. You've said so yourself that I can never go back."_

_"Is that why you're looking so sad?" Giggling merrily, the girl claps her hands again. The grass around us wavers and fades, replaced by the tattered upholstery of a Pokémon Center lobby. I let out a cry as my stare falls upon Satoshi, Chikai, and Duplica, crowded around an old couch by the wall. Casey sits slumped against a chair, eyes downcast. _

_Seeing my own body lying there on the couch, I reach a hand out towards myself. It passes right through my face, as if the scene I see before me is no more than an illusion. _

_Or as if the hand I hold before me is no more substantial than a ghost's._

_Sparky jumps down from the girl's shoulder, scampering up to stand beside me. Face illuminated by a sad smile, the girl in the yellow dress takes one step backwards, then another._

_"You can never go back, Richie," she says, voice fading away even as she speaks. "You can only go forward."_

_I gasp as Sparky's ghostly form grows translucent and flickers. My Pikachu gives me one final look as its body disappears into wisps of mist._

_"Sparky's trying its hardest, you know," the girl tells me, voice now merely a whisper. "It'll be waiting for you when you remember. Help is on its way as we speak, Richie. But it does not always come to those who wait."_

_"What do you mean?" I cry. _

_"You can't do this alone," the girl says as mist begins to rise around her. "You'll need new allies...both you and Satoshi..."_

_"Where will I find these allies? How will I know them? Please wait!" I shout as the girl's form dissolves, leaving behind only an echo of her words and a growing cloud of mist. _

_You can never go back. You can only go forward._

_Go forward._

_Closing my eyes, I take one step through the thick mist that swirls about me. And the world slams down, propelling me into blackness._

* * *

Duplica was the one who saw it first. With a cry, she dashed back, grabbed Casey by the arm, and yanked her towards Richie's body. "He blinked!" she yowled, pointing triumphantly. "I swear, he just blinked! Comatose, screw that! Richie's waking up!"

"Pidgey!" Zeal twittered excitedly.  
With a second flutter of the eyelids, Richie groaned painfully and struggled to sit up. Filled with relief, Reena lifted the ice pack she'd been holding to his head and let Richie hold it himself.

"How long was I asleep?" Richie asked anxiously, wincing as Duplica jumped forward and delivered an enthusiastic bear hug. "Ow! Sorry, I've got a major headache."

"I _so_ told you he was gonna pull through!" Casey crowed, whipping out her bat and giving both Duplica and Reena a smack apiece. "This calls for a celebration song!"

_"Even though you got hit real hard on the head,  
__The pain'll go away 'cause you're far from being dead!"_

Grimacing, Duplica attempted to confiscate Casey's flailing bat, sending Reena into uncontrollable gales of laughter. Both Zeal and Duplica's Ditto looked vaguely embarrassed at the girls' antics, and Chikai rolled its eyes skyward with a bit of a smirk on its face. Shifting the icepack to another hand, Richie couldn't help but crack a smile.

None of them noticed as the back door of the Pokémon Center swung open forcefully, admitting a stormy-eyed trainer with long red hair into the lobby.

"What the heck is going on here!" he yelled, eyes falling upon Reena and Chikai. "Aargh, it's you! I should've known you'd be in charge of this freak show, Golden. Quit clogging up the aisle already!"

"What are you doing here!" Reena cried angrily, starting forward with her hands balled. Glancing nervously from Reena's glare to the newcomer, Duplica hastily dragged Reena backwards by the arm and forced her into an empty chair.

"I've got as much right to use the Pokémon Center as you do!" the redheaded boy retorted. "So shut up and get out of my way, Golden. I don't need wimps like you slowing me down and making me late for my Gym match in the next city over."

Reena's jaw dropped involuntarily. "You've already got the Cas...Bluebadge _and _the Vermillion City Badge?" she gaped. "But...you couldn't have gotten here that much earlier than me!"

"He's probably been to the Vermillion City before," Duplica said confidently. "He probably got the Crimsonbadge ages ago, Satoshi."

The boy's eyes flashed. "What do you know about anything?" he shot back at Duplica. "Don't butt in when you aren't even involved!"

As Duplica's face reddened, Richie's voice came softly from the couch behind her. "You know this boy, Satoshi?" he asked, craning his head around to get a better look. "Wait, I remember you from the Cerulean City Gym."

"And I remember you from your million Wanted posters!" Riddle retorted. "You're the fugitive kid! You think that lousy haircut fools anybody for one second, you're dead wrong!" That was a lie; the boy's hair was so mangled Riddle doubted his own mother would recognize him. But what other boy would be stupid, or desperate enough, to hang around Golden?

"I like his haircut," Casey defended quickly, pigtails swinging.

Riddle sneered at this. "You should talk!"

Still holding the icepack to his head, Richie rose to his feet and walked past the others. "My name's Richie," he told the boy, extending one hand. "What's yours?"

Rolling his eyes in disgust, Riddle folded his arms and started pointedly at Richie's outstretched hand. "Hold it out like that long enough and it'll drop off," he taunted as Richie stood there. "Name's Riddle. Call me anything other than that and I'll punch that stupid look right off your face."

"You've been collecting Badges long, Riddle?"

"Hardly," Riddle snorted, teetering on the edge of pushing past this strange pale boy and boasting to the assembled audience of his accomplishments. "I've only got two Kanto Badges, Blue and Crimson, now. But I bet that's more than this wimp here."

Reena colored at the truth of his statement.

"Next one on my list's the Gold Badge from Saffron City," Riddle continued briskly. "But the news just came in on the radio. All gates to Saffron City are being shut. The city's being barricaded; won't let anybody in or out. Screw that; I'm getting into Saffron barricade or no barricade." He sneered at Reena as he passed, heading towards the Pokémon Center doors. "I like to see you try to get into Saffron City, Golden," he taunted. "No way a wimp like you is gonna get the Gold Badge. Of course, you haven't even beaten the Gym Leader here yet! Don't know why you're even trying."

And with those departing words, he shoved open the door and stormed away down the street, the horrified look he had witnessed on Golden's face putting a small smile on his surly face.

_He's just a wimp, after all, _Riddle thought with satisfaction. _Maybe he takes in fugitives and dives into pools to save rats, but he's still just a wimp. I don't know why I was ever scared of him in the first place, when he's obviously not even worth my time. When the time comes, Golden, I will beat you down so badly you'll never be able to pick up another PokéBall in your life._

If it were not for brother Lance, Riddle would have had his battle and been done bothering with Golden long ago. But Lance wanted Satoshi Golden out of the picture entirely, too broken to pursue a dream of Pokémon masterdom ever again. Riddle knew how to export Golden's weaknesses and insecurities, and did so frequently in sharp, biting taunts and threats. But the real blow, that could only be dealt when Golden was at the peak of his training career. That was when it would hurt him the most.

_In this way, it's kinder, _Riddle thought firmly as he raced along the street, dodging cursing pedestrians and protruding fire hydrants. _I could have tried to be Golden's friend instead of his enemy. Any damage I do then would be multiplied tenfold._

_Golden, you sucker. Don't you see I'm doing this the nicest way I can? _

_No, of course you don't. You hate me too much for that. _

_Well, kudos to you. I don't exactly like myself much, either._

* * *

_Miles away in Saffron City, in a cluttered windowless room decorated with peeling pink wallpaper, a little girl sits atop a small white table. Large eyes glow bright red in her small face. _

_"You can't do this alone. You'll need new allies...both you and Satoshi..." intones the young woman with long dark hair kneeling behind the girl, eyes glued shut in intense concentration. Tongues of lavender radiance flicker about the girl's body as she repeats the words in a high, childish voice._

_The aura flares suddenly, engulfing both the little girl and the woman behind her, before letting the room fade back into darkness. As the woman's startlingly golden eyes flicker open at last, the child's crimson gaze dims. _

_Slowly, deliberately, the woman takes her hands from the little girl's shoulders, letting the doll's body drop limply onto the tabletop._

* * *

_"The gift to dream and make dream real,  
Is yours and mine.__"_

**-"The Power of One"**

* * *

__

**_Notes: _**_Justification for Megadit? Well, if Ditto maniac Duplica found Minidit, why not? (is sheepish) This was actually written before I knew Richie had a Taillow, so I had originally given him a different Flying Pokémon that was big enough to carry a rider, which Swellow isn't. Yeah...well, I tried at least. _

_Secret Potion is from the Pokémon G/S game; it's the medicine that Jasmine uses for the sick Ampharos._


	11. INSURGENCE

**10. INSURGENCE**

* * *

__

"I tell you, kid, Electric Pokémon saved me during the war! They zapped my enemies into paralysis. The same as I'll do to you! "

* * *

_"Still having doubts, Coach? I think we can trust her." _

_"The girl from another world? I still don't understand why they chose her. My contact says she barely scraped by with her first badge. That's definitely not Champion material."_

_"All the greats had to start out somewhere, didn't they? Besides, Richie trusts her."_

_"Richie would trust the Ekans in the grass even if it sprang out and attacked with a Poison Sting. Tyranitar take it! All the bad judgment Richie's shown in the past is finally catching up now! We have to make our move soon."_

_"I'll get the team assembled in Fuchsia as soon as I can. But, Coach?"_

_"What is it, Casey?"_

_"Has Richie ever told you what happened all those years ago, before finding the team?"_

_"Never has. All I know is that there was some sort of promise, some promise Richie made. I don't know the details."_

_"Then it must not have been kept?"_

_"From Richie's end or the other person's, I'll always wonder. Well, we can puzzle over that later. Let's go."_

* * *

Cheeseburgers turned out to be all that Casey and Duplica stayed around for. After a quick, but hearty, meal at one of Vermillion "finest" fast food stops, the two girls waved good-bye and started down an outgoing road.

"Don't even bother missing us!" Duplica had called as they had disappeared down the sidewalk. "Rest assured, we'll be back to torment you some more real soon!"

Before they had left, however, both had made a point of escorting Richie into a souvenir shop and purchasing him a new hat. "I don't care what I told that Riddle kid," Casey had confided. "Your hair looks pretty awful, Richie."

"Like you cut it with pruning shears," Duplica had supplied teasingly. "Or a lawn mower."

So the gang found themselves down at the Vermillion docks early the next morning, two members short. Having slept the night away on a full stomach, Reena was once more anxious to prepare for her upcoming match at the Vermillion Gym. Most of the morning was spent engaged in battles with the rowdy wild Pokémon that haunted the swirling shore waters of the bay.

"It doesn't matter how far that creep Riddle gets ahead of me!" Reena seethed after one especially grueling match against a shrewd Tentacool. Recalling Rebelle, she yanked off her cap and letting the cool sea breeze blow through her sweat-matted hair. "I'm not competing with that Furret-drowning jerk! I am _not _letting him get to me!" Taking a seat at the edge of the wharves, Reena let her weary feet dangle over the water as she unwrapped a granola bar.

"Of course you aren't," Richie said absentmindedly, fingering the brim of his new hat rather morosely. Unlike Reena, he didn't take his cap off, not even to examine the tiny golden lightning bolt emblazoned on its front.

"Richie, Duplica was just kidding when she said she was gonna make you revamp your outfit and buy an entire new wardrobe," Reena sighed, stuffing half the granola bar into her mouth and allowing an eager Nibbles to claim the other. "Either way," she added, "you're a guy! Guys don't have to care about their clothes, you know."

"I don't care," Richie muttered hurriedly, pulling the brim of the hat even further down his forehead. "I really don't. You've just never been with Duplica on one of her crazed shopping sprees." He shivered in reminiscence.

From where it stood on the ground below, Chikai rolled its eyes heavenward, as if seeking relief from some great power above.

Reena groaned loudly as she realized her Abra's PokéBall was missing once more. "I swear I put right here," she contested, dumping the contents of her pack into her lap and turning out her pockets. Something smooth and round fell from her jacket as she did so, hitting the wooden dock with a light thud. Curiously, Reena reached forward and caught the object before it had a chance to roll into the water below.

"What's that?" Richie's voice came from the side. Reena turned about with a start as the other trainer sat down beside her, Chikai trotting up behind.

"Something I picked up on the Underground," Reena shrugged, frowning as she turned it over in her hand, where it left dirty streaks of grime. "I don't remember putting it in my pocket, though."

"It could use a polishing or two," Richie said, setting his backpack on the ground and digging through its compartments. "Here, I've got a cloth you can use...well, I had one last time I checked."

"It doesn't matter," Reena said, dropping the strange object back into her pocket and getting reluctantly to her feet. "I should really get back to training, anyway. Richie, Chikai, you sure you haven't seen Aeri's PokéBall lying around anywhere? I was kinda hoping to train that Abra a little before my Gym match."

"I think you'll get by well enough with Rebelle," Richie said confidently. "Grass has a slight advantage against Electric, after all, and Electric types are what Surge mostly favors. Things might get a little tricky if he throws in a half-Steel type, like Magnemite, but you can handle it."

"What Satoshi needs," Chikai said abruptly, speaking for the first time that day, "is a match against a real Electric Pokémon. Not those wild Magikarp and Tentacool we've been going against all morning. An Electric Pokémon with a _trainer_, who knows some of the better tricks in the book."

Turning to the scarred Pikachu, Richie gave the Pokémon a curious look, bracing his hands against the wood of the deck. "You have an opponent for Satoshi in mind, Chikai?" he asked nonchalantly.

Sniffing, Chikai clambered onto the top of Reena's head. "As a matter of fact, I do," it informed them, extending a paw to point down the docks.

Swerving her neck about, Reena followed Chikai's paw to a lone, orangey-furred figure with its gaze fixated on the waters of the bay. With chubby paws looking as if they had been dipped in chocolate, perked elfin ears, and a lithe black tail that flicked back and forth to some silent beat, the Pokémon was easily recognizable as the Electric Pokémon Raichu.

"It doesn't have a trainer," Reena said in surprise. "It must be wild, Chikai."

The Pikachu snorted, prodding her impatiently in the neck when she refused to budge. "That's a trained Raichu, born and bred," it told her firmly. "Look at the quality of its fur! The color of its cheek pouches!"

"Okay, okay!" Reena exclaimed, staggering to her feet. "I'm sure you know a lot more about this than I do! I'll go, I'm going right now, see?"

As she approached the lone Raichu, a clear cadenced voice drifted through the air towards Reena's ears, accompanied by the steady beat of the Pokémon's tail against the dock.

_"God save thee, ancient Mariner!  
__From the fiends, that plague thee thus!-  
__Why look'st thou so?'-'With my cross-bow  
__I shot the Albatross."_

To Reena's shock, the Raichu's mouth was moving along with the words. The Pokémon was talking, and in a voice as flawlessly human as Chikai's! And as the poem progressed, the Pokémon proceeded to gesture with its paws and tail, as if performing before some invisible audience.

"Um, excuse me," Reena said hesitantly as the Raichu paused for breath, letting its tail resting against the dock. "Would your trainer happen to be anywhere around here? I'd like to challenge them to a Pokémon battle."

The Raichu's gaze shot towards her with a start. Eyes wide and tail flailing, the Pokémon gave a startled cry and tried to rush past Reena. Unfortunately, its long tail snagged on a wooden splinter, sending its wind-milling backwards into the water. Spiting out a mouthful of saltwater, the Raichu kicked its way to the surface of the water and started dogpaddling back to shore.

"Lyrix!" that same voice, which had been reciting the poem moments before, cried. Reena barely had time to move as an anxious girl burst out from behind a stack of shipping crates. Russet braids slapping against her shoulders as she ran, the girl reached over the edge of the dock to help the Raichu ashore.

"I'm so sorry!" Reena apologized quickly as the dripping wet Raichu emerged from the water. "I didn't mean to scare anybody."

"It's okay," the Raichu's rescuer replied, giggling as the Raichu rapidly shook out its fur, splattering the front of her bright blue shirt with water droplets. "Something like this happens every other week. Lyrix and I just get so wrapped up in our practices that any distraction is enough to make us jump." Wiping her wet hands over her faded jeans, the girl smiled and said, "You're a trainer, I thought I heard you say? Here to challenge the Vermillion Leader?"

Reena nodded. "My name's Satoshi, and this is my friend, Richie," she said, gesturing to the trainer who was standing uncertainly behind her. "What's your name?"

"Kay," the girl said, throwing her braids back over her shoulder with a flick of the head. "Well, actually, it's Kaya, but no one ever uses that. I'm afraid I'm not really much of a battler; Lyrix here's my only Pokémon."

"You don't battle at all?" Reena asked disappointedly.

A dark shadow fell over Kay's eyes, making Reena almost instantly regret her question. "We like to practice our recitations instead," Kay informed Reena lightly. "Lyrix and I used to perform on a showboat in the Orange Archipelago a couple years back. It was so much fun that we just couldn't stop practicing."

"You're really good," Richie commented approvingly. "I seriously thought your Raichu was actually talking for a moment." Reena quickly agreed, making Kay beam happily.

"Rai'ai! Chu ai, r'chah," Lyrix told its trainer in a hushed whisper, tail flickering about excitedly. Straightening, Kay nodded decisively and turned to Reena.

"But we could call practice quits for today," she said, putting a hand behind Lyrix's curled ears. "If you'd really like to battle me and Lyrix, I really don't see any reason for you not to."

Taking her place at the edge of the wharves, Reena fumbled in her pocket for a PokéBall, grinning all the while. "We can have a one-on-one, Lyrix against one of my Pokémon," she said, tossing the ball before her. "I'll use my Chikorita, Rebelle."

Bending down to Chikai, who was crouched a few yards back from the battle, Richie whispered uncertainly in the Pikachu's ear. "Chikai, are you sure Satoshi should be battling an opponent like Kay?" Richie asked urgently. "Kay's already said she's not much of a battler; what if Lyrix gets seriously hurt by accident?"

"Commendable concerns, as always," Chikai muttered back. "But I think Satoshi's the one who's going to have to watch out in this match."

Shrugging, Richie stood back and watched the opening of the battle with unease.

"Okay, Rebelle!" Reena called to her Pokémon. "Use...uh, use Synthesis!"

"Chik'a chiko. Chi-ah, chi-ah!" the Chikorita shouted shrilly back, vine whips thumping the ground in irritation.

"I _know _Synthesis is a healing move!" Reena yelled as Richie and Chikai shook their heads in disbelief. "It's just that...Rebelle looks tired, and I thought that..." She fumbled awkwardly for words as her excuse fell out from under her; even Richie was shaking his head at this, knowing that Reena was only trying to stall in order to go easy on Lyrix. Kay, braids draped over her shoulders, looked absolutely miserable.

Ignoring Reena's earlier command, Rebelle lashed forward with its whips, red eyes blazing. Without so much as a blink, Lyrix danced out of range. Quicker than Reena could possibly follow, the Raichu's tail shot out, grabbed Rebelle by the whips, and flung the screaming Chikorita against the ground.

Reena looked on in disbelief as Lyrix beat Rebelle's body soundly against the ground, then bounded back without so much as a fur out of place.

"You should have attacked when you had the chance," came Kay's quiet voice from the other end of the dock. Pointing a finger at Rebelle, who was struggling valiantly to rise, she said in a clear voice, "Lyrix, use a Thunderwave."

"Rebelle!" Reena yelled as sparks began to fizz at the Raichu's cheeks. "Rebelle, hurry and use...I don't know! Use Sweet Scent, quick!"

Crouching down low, the Chikorita began to shake its small body, the glossy green leaf atop its head quivering violently. As it shook, a shimmering cloud of fine dust floated into the air, accompanied by the aromatic, lulling scent of sweet flower pollen.

Even as the Sweet Scent attack neared it, Lyrix held its ground. Reena watched in disbelief as twin bolts of electricity shot out from the Raichu's cheeks, meeting the cloud of Sweet Scent in midair. Rebelle's fragrant attack vaporized as soon as the Thundershock touched it, leaving only wisps of steam in its place.

But Kay's Raichu didn't stop there. Lunging forward on one foot, Lyrix sent a dazzling Thunderbolt attack sizzling straight in Rebelle's direction. As the stream of electricity zigzagged its way towards the Chikorita, Reena let out a frantic yell.

"Rebelle, look out!"

The Chikorita made a motion to jump away, but the Thunderbolt was already upon it. Reena cried out as her Pokémon was caught within the scintillating burst of electricity. Rebelle's body jerked grotesquely about as Reena watched helplessly. She was on the verge of yelling again, screaming that the battle was finished and recalling her Pokémon, when Kay's clear voice rang out.

"Lyrix, that's enough! Let the Chikorita go!"

Rebelle's body dropped to the dock with a thud. The Chikorita was on its feet a split-second later, screaming indignantly. It crawled several feet towards Lyrix before collapsing into an unconscious heap.

As Reena dashed anxiously up to her Pokémon's side, Chikai saw Richie's face was a picture of complete astonishment. "That Kay is no beginning trainer," he whispered. "And if she's anything like the Vermillion City Gym Leader..." He was interrupted before he could finish; Kay had stepped forward now and was laying an arm on her opponent's shoulder.

"Good battle, Satoshi," Kay said as Lyrix trotted up to join. "I was afraid I wouldn't go hard enough on you, so...I guess I went a bit overboard. Both Lyrix and I, we're very sorry. Aren't we, Lyrix?"

"Rai," Kay's Raichu agreed, yellow cheeks turning a sheepish orange.

"Don't worry about it," Reena answered as she scooped the unconscious Rebelle up into her arms. "I just need to get Rebelle to the Pokémon Center."

Kay nodded quickly, eager to be of some help. "Here, I know a shortcut there," she said, taking Reena's arm and leading her down the docks. "I'll make sure your Pokémon gets the best of treatment."

Not more than five minutes later, Reena, Kay, and the others were seated on the Vermillion Pokémon Center's lumpy couches. Two attendant Chansey had wheeled Rebelle into a healing room only moments before, while another had given Reena a severe reprimand that she had not understood a word of. But by the glittering of Chikai's black eyes, she could assume the Chansey's words had probably not been too kind or understanding.

Kay was the first one to break the uneasy silence. "Your Pikachu is very cute, Satoshi," she said hesitantly, gently patting the top of Chikai's head. "Or is it your Pikachu?" she asked, turning to Richie, who was sitting by himself on a nearby stool.

"Chikai belongs to Satoshi," Richie said with a miserable wince. Chikai shot him an angry look, but Kay was too concerned with the trainer's melancholy tone to pay much mind to anything else.

"Rai'rai," Lyrix whispered hurriedly into its trainer's ear. "Chu-oo, ra'ichu."

"Oh! " Kay exclaimed, clapping a hand over her mouth. "Oh, I'm sorry! You see, Raichu have a very acute sense of smell, and Lyrix can pick up certain things about people from their scent. It informed me just now that you...used to spend quite a bit of time with one particular Pikachu. But recently..." Her blue eyes widened in a mixture of embarrassment and distress.

Richie responded to Kay quickly, managing a small smile at the girl's awkwardness. "Your Raichu's right, Kay," Richie replied politely. "But Sparky, my Pikachu, isn't dead, if that's what you're afraid of. Sparky's just...well, Sparky's just..."

Reena could not bear the pain that surfaced in her companion's eyes as he tried to force out the terrible words. "Sparky was taken away by the League," she blurted out for him. The instant the words escaped her mouth, she regretted them. Both Kay and Chikai were staring at her now; the Pikachu with disgusted disbelief and the human girl with curiosity.

"That's why Richie and I are trying so hard to win the Pokémon League," Reena said weakly, with a sickening feeling that all of this was something that she should definitely not be telling Kay. But she had taken a risk with Richie, and Kay and Lyrix had seemed nice enough. So Reena went on, trying not to seem too awkward. "Winning the Pokémon League, and gaining an audience with the officials at Indigo, is the only chance we'll have to recover Sparky." _Or get me back home, _she completed mentally.

"Rai'ra," Lyrix muttered, bowing its head solemnly. Chikai, on the other hand, shot an angry glare in Reena's direction.

Nodding understandingly, Kay's russet braids sliding over her shoulders as she leaned forward to look Richie in the face. "Well, I wish you luck, then," she said earnestly. "It's a better cause than most, I guess. Maybe I can..."

The chime of the Pokémon Center clock cut Kay off in mid-sentence. Both her and Lyrix's heads jerked up as the chime sounded one, twice, then three times. "Is it that late already?" Kay cried, bolting out of her seat. Her Raichu leapt to the ground after her with a yelp. "I'm really sorry," Kay called to Reena and the others. "But I have to leave now! Maybe I'll see you guys around the city, later?"

"Okay," Reena replied. Kay didn't wait for another word; she and her Raichu were out the doors of the Pokémon Center and racing down the sidewalk outside before Reena could even raise her hand to wave goodbye.

* * *

"The train station closed? But when will it reopen?"

The station manger peered through his spectacles at the teenager who had just spoken, a tanned girl dressed in faded, old-fashioned clothes, the rustic nature of which made her appear all the more conspicuous in the teeming streets of Cerulean City. Despite all her various idiosyncrasies, the least of which was the trembling Parasect crouched behind her legs, the girl did not strike the manager as someone's whose demand could not go unanswered. Perhaps it was something, maybe a spark of hard determination, in the girl's sharp eyes.

"Maybe you didn't hear me properly the first time, miss," the manager responded at last, rather curtly. "The Magnet Train is out of commission for an indeterminate period of time. The Train systems here, you understand, run on electricity provided by the Cerulean Power Plant. As of late, the Power Plant has been experiencing some technical difficulties."

A shadow fell over the information counter as a second teenager moved to stand by the girl's side. This time, it was a sturdy, dark-haired boy who, when he spoke, was revealed to have one of the flattest, coldest, and most detached voices the manager had ever heard. "What kind of difficulties?" he asked, planting his hands casually on the counter's edge.

"Nothing that would concern kids like you," the manager replied curtly, squinting suspiciously at the boy who had just spoken. That boy looked particularly familiar somehow, and the teenager's cool, unafraid demeanor reminded one eerily of the aloof top trainers at the Pokémon League. But this boy displayed none of the pretentious airs or flamboyant confidence of a battling champion.

Indeed, the manager could tell very little about the boy leaning on the counter in front of him. Like his companion, the girl with the Parasect, he had sharp, keen eyes. But there was something else besides determination in his, something that made the manager shiver just by glancing in their direction.

Holding the old man's fearful eyes in his own gaze for several moments, Tracey slowly nodded in acknowledgement. Then, careful not to look away or even blink once, Tracey took his hands from the counter's metal surface and deliberately let them drop to his sides. "Well, I thank you for your time," he said, lowering his eyes at last. "I suppose my companions and I will just have to find a different route to take. Or perhaps a different destination."

Behind him, Cassandra made a startled noise of surprise. She fell silent almost immediately afterwards, but grabbed Tracey's arm as he walked past. "What do you mean by a different destination?" she hissed at him, green hair whipping into his neck. "If we don't get to Indigo with the medicine soon, that sick Pikachu will die!"

Extracting Cassandra's sharp nails from his arm, Tracey continued to walk away from the train station at a steady, controlled pace. Face contorting a strange mixture of confusion, curiosity, and mainly resentment, Cassandra raced after him. "So we've had a change of plans then?" she demanded as Tracey turned the corner, putting them all effectively out of the Cerulean train station's sight. "This had better be good, Sketchy."

"Sketchit," Tracey said automatically. As it scuttled along behind them, Cassandra's Parasect made a low clicking noise with its claws.

"There are some things that are more important than going to Indigo Plateau now," Tracey explained with a shrug. "I, for one, would like to stop by the Cerulean Power Plant."

"What?!" Tracey watched almost amusedly as Cassandra's face went through three different shades varying between red and white, before twisting itself into an exasperated snarl. "What's the point of that?" she cried. "Waiting around for them to fix the electricity here just wastes valuable time! We'd make better time _walking _all the way to Indigo!"

Tracey raised an eyebrow at this last statement. "Maybe," he said. "But I doubt it. According to the manager's memo, the sole problem with the Cerulean Power Plant is a single machine part. A part that was stolen from the Power Plant only yesterday."

"What memo are you talking about?"

"The one lying right on the manger's counter," Tracey replied, an edge of irritation creeping into his voice. "Don't tell me you stood there for all of five minutes and still managed to overlook it." Which, from the abashed, ever-resentful look dawning on Cassandra's face, she most obviously had.

"Come on," Tracey said at last, quickening his pace as he started down the road that led into the very heart of Cerulean City. "I have a friend in this city who can help us get into the Power Plant."

Still stinging with Tracey's recent slight, Cassandra refused to move. "_You _have friends?" she asked Tracey's retreating back suspiciously. "Well, that's a surprise."

"An acquaintance, then," Tracey answered calmly, not bothering to turn around. Cassandra could talk disdainfully enough, but would not risk letting Tracey, her only link to the sick Pikachu she had come to cure, disappear from sight. Sure enough, when Tracey was halfway down the road, the pounding of Cassandra's sandals, accompanied by the frantic scuttling of Parasect's claws, filled the air behind him.

Cassandra, sullen-faced, did not say a word as Tracey wove his way through the crowded city, past numerous buildings and over a multitude of street crossings. Her Parasect seemed following her example, though whether its silence was out of respect for its trainer, or plain fear at its strange new surroundings, Tracey could not say. Out of the corner of his eye, though, he saw Cassandra lean over once or twice to rest a reassuring hand on the Parasect's mushroomed back.

She almost didn't notice when Tracey stopped at last, and would have gone on walking past, if he hadn't thrust out an arm to stop her. "This is it," Tracey said, gesturing to the sprawling building before them, its glass doors glinting in the sunlight. Taped to the front of one door was a note on blue stationary paper, on which a short message had been written in neat, round handwriting.

_The Cerulean Gym is closed until further notice. Have a nice day and go away.  
__-Misty Waterflower, Gym Leader_

"Your friend's a Gym Leader?" Cassandra said suspiciously. Tracey could see the familiar spark of hatred spring up in her eyes. It was the same look Cassandra had worn when Tracey had first come to her cottage in the woods, when she had thought him to be a League member.

"The Gym Leader's just an acquaintance, remember?" Tracey said nonchalantly, rapping his knuckles on the door's glass surface. When no one arrived to open it, he pulled a small silvery pick from his shirt pocket and inserted it into the lock.

Cassandra's Parasect let out a squeak of surprise, one immediately echoed by its trainer. "What are you doing?" Cassandra hissed in his ear, eyes darting about the city streets. "Are you crazy? What if there's an alarm?"

Tracey shrugged. "There wasn't last time I tried." Sure enough, the door knob turned easily after he had extracted the pick, rendering Cassandra sputtering, but nonetheless speechless. Without a look back, Tracey stepped into the Cerulean Gym, holding the door out behind him so Cassandra and her Parasect could follow.

A small fluttering form at the end of the room, bathed in blue light from the surrounding aquariums, caught his eye almost instantly.

"Toge! Toge!" Togei, Misty's Togetic, chirped fearfully as Tracey took a cautious step towards it. Its gauzy wings beat themselves into a frantic storm as it backed uneasily against the tank's glass wall.

"I need to talk to your trainer," Tracey said, slowly reaching out one hand towards the Togetic. In a flash of white wings, the Pokémon had shot over his head and up the winding staircase, crying out shrilly all the while. From where he stood in the middle of the room, Tracey could see Cassandra resting a shaking hand on her Parasect's back and wincing at the Togetic's strident cries.

"You again!" came a loud, angry voice from the head of the stairs. Cassandra's head jerked about; Tracey could see her jaw clenching as Misty Waterflower, the Cerulean City Gym Leader, stormed down the stairs two steps at a time. Togei, now silent, hovered anxiously behind its trainer's elbow.

"So you've resorted to breaking into buildings, Sketchit?" Misty demanded the Pokémon Watcher. She stabbed her finger at the doors with such vehemence that Togei was nearly impaled on her nail. "Well, I don't want to hear another word about Richie or your demented plans! Get out of my Gym!" she commanded. "Now!"

To Tracey's complete surprise, Cassandra pulled away from her Parasect and strode directly towards the Cerulean Gym Leader, all before he had a chance to stop her. "Maybe you should _actually_ hear what we have to say, before you kick us out!" the older girl retorted, crossing her arms. "But then..." Cassandra's face contorted into a venomous scowl as the next few words burst forth from her mouth. "But then, what does a Gym Leader know about manners?"

Tracey watched the two girls facing each other with the sinking feeling that things had somehow spiraled out of his control. Cassandra was a good head taller than Misty, and not quite as petite. She also had Parasect right behind her, ready to charge if need be. Misty, on the other hand, was quick-footed and agile from her many years of aquatic training. Even now, the Gym Leader's clear emerald eyes were darting about, swiftly sizing up her larger opponent.

Then Misty Waterflower did the last thing Tracey had expected. Clapping a slender hand over her mouth, she began to giggle. Cassandra could only stare in incredulity as the Gym Leader's imperious countenance dissolved into a wild fit of laughter.

"I didn't know Tracey had picked up a sidekick!" Misty choked out, falling back against the wall as she laughed.

Tracey hadn't been aware of that, either. Cassandra, for her part, stood in stony silence. Apparently, as much as Cassandra despised him, she reserved an even greater hatred for Gym Leaders.

"Toge?" Togetic chirped, cocking its head questioningly at its trainer.

"Right. Sorry." With a cough, Misty stood up and swiftly regained her composure. "Well, then," she said, folding her arms and looking Cassandra straight in the eye. "_Please _excusemy rudeness, ma'am. My name is Misty Waterflower. Who might you be, besides Tracey's little minion?"

As Cassandra's eyes narrowed into a dark scowl, Tracey barely suppressed a mental sigh. Misty's Togetic echoed the Watcher's exact feelings with a weary, frustrated-sounding chirp of its own.

Cassandra might have been right when she'd said they'd make better time _walking _to Indigo. At this rate, he would have to spend all his available time making sure that the two girls did not tear each other from limb to limb. It _had_ been a while since Tracey had had to play the peacemaker. If worse came to worse, he would most likely find himself sweeping little pieces of both girls from the pavement.

* * *

"Rebelle?"

"Check."

"Nibbles?"

"Check."

"Aeri?"

Reena fumbled about in her pockets. "Shoot," she muttered underneath her breath, before starting on her backpack. As she unzipped the last compartment, she held up a small PokéBall in triumph. "Got my Abra!"

Richie grinned encouragingly. "How about a good sense of self-confidence?"

Chikai rolled its eyes at this. "Spare us the morale boost," it scowled at Richie, who merely shrugged in response. "If worse comes to worse, Satoshi will just have to borrow one of your Pokémon again, and hope the Gym Leader feels sorry enough for him to allow it."

"I hope not!" Reena protested as she pocketed her balls. "Honestly, Chikai, it was bad enough I did that the first time! Doing it again here...well, it's cheating, isn't it?"

"Do you want to win, Satoshi?" Chikai demanded irritably of her.

Reena nodded as she struggled to her feet. "But..."

"I don't want to hear your 'buts,' Satoshi. Call it what you may, but the fact still remains. If we are going to reach Indigo Plateau anytime soon, we are going to have to bend a few rules. And, Satoshi, if you weren't so wrapped up in your righteous little qualms, you may have realized that you are _not_ the only one with a stake in all this."

By this point, Richie's face was growing a bit pained. "Chikai, you really don't have to..."

"No, Chikai's right," Reena sighed, hoisting up her backpack and readjusting her cap. "It'd be stupid of me to turn down perfectly good help."

The two trainers and Pikachu left the Vermillion docks, making a beeline for the Vermillion Gym. Reena, for her part, could feel another jag of anxiety coming on strong. Trying her best to ignore it, she shoved at the doors of the Gym with one sweaty hand.

And shoved again, this time with both hands.

"What's the matter with this thing?" Reena grunted, kicking and prying at the immobile Gym doors in frustration. "Don't tell me it's locked! Please don't tell me it's locked!"

"Unfortunately, that is the case," came a stern voice from behind her. Swerving about, and hastily backing away from the doors, Reena caught sight of tall, uniformed man coming up towards them. He stared down over the tops of his sunglasses at Reena, mouth pressed into a thin line. "You," he said, enunciating the addressing word disdainfully, "must be new to Vermillion City."

Reena nodded mutely. "Yeah," she said, gulping. "I just came today to challenge the Gym Leader, Lt. Surge."

"The Vermillion Leader," the man replied curtly, "holds his private practice sessions at this particular time every single day. I'm afraid you'll have to come back in another hour or so."

"Just my luck," Reena complained as she, Richie, and Chikai reluctantly left the Vermillion Gym. "By the time I finally get to battle, I'll be such a nervous wreck that I won't even be able to hold a PokéBall!"

"Look on the bright side," Richie suggested. "We can have a quick strategy cram session."

At that precise moment, however, doing anything that required any kind of thinking was far beyond Reena's mental capacity. Bobbing up and down on the soles of her sneakers to relieve some of her nervous energy, she hiked her backpack higher onto her shoulder. If she stood still a moment longer, she was certain she'd explode from anxiety. "I'm too hyped up to practice," Reena admitted to Richie. "How about I race you to the Pokémon Center and back?"

Richie grinned in reply. "You're on. On the count of three. One, two..."

"No!" Chikai hissed in horror, clutching protectively at Reena's cap. "Do _not_ run, running is the _last_ thing you want to do!"

"...three, GO!"

Reena took off down the sidewalk, arms and legs pumping furiously as Chikai squeaked in dismay. She made it about halfway down the block before she thought to glance over her shoulder. "Hey, Richie!" she called, skidding to a stop and jogging back to the starting point. "Are you okay?"

The other Pokémon trainer was kneeling on the ground, eyes squeezed shut. One of Richie's gloved hands was braced against the sidewalk. The other was clamped over his mouth, stifling the loud wet coughs shuddering through his body. "I...I'm fine," he asserted hoarsely a moment later, stumbling to his feet. "Just tripped was all." His face, still flushed from his recent coughing fit, lit up in a shaky smile. "Why don't we start the race again?" he asked.

Eyes wide, Reena shook her head. "That cough of yours sounds really bad," she said. "Shouldn't you get it checked by a doctor or something? Or take coughdrops, maybe."

"I'll buy some after your match," Richie assured her. "Seriously, Satoshi, it's not that bad."

Reena, eyes flickering from the other trainer's wavering smile to his too red face, didn't know whether to believe him or not.

* * *

_"God save thee, ancient Mariner!  
__From the fiends, that plague thee thus!-  
__Why look'st thou so?'-'With my cross-bow  
__I shot the Albatross."_

Face red and slick with sweat, Kay chanted this snippet of the poem under her breath again, accenting each syllable with a choking gasp for air.

"What's the matter, girl? Tell me your Pokémon's better trained than that!"

_Alone, alone, all, all alone,  
__Alone on a wide wide sea!_

The words pounded in Kay's exhausted mind, as relentless as the slamming of her heart against her ribs. "Lyrix!" she yelled out despairingly, "Lyrix...use a Thunderwave!"

_And never a saint took pity on  
__My soul in agony. _

Lyrix's paralyzing attack streaked wildly across the stadium floor, writhing this way and that as the nearly-drained Raichu struggled to control the flow of electricity. Its opponent, an older Raichu with a multitude of long scars marking its wiry body, dodged Lyrix's Thunderwave with amazing ease. Without a second's delay, it swerved back and delivered an explosive Mega Kick to Lyrix's throat.

Wheezing, Kay's Raichu fell limply to the ground. Kay closed her eyes, trying not to wince, and took a deep breath of the hot, humid air that filled Vermillion Gym Stadium. "Lyrix, return!" she commanded once she found her voice again, drawing out a PokéBall and recalling the unconscious Pokémon into its confines.

**To Be Continued (or not)...**

* * *

_"I tell you, kid, Electric Pokémon saved me during the war! They zapped my enemies into paralysis. The same as I'll do to you! "_

**-Lt. Surge, Vermillion City Gym Leader**

* * *

**_Notes: _**_Kay and her Raichu and ganked from the anime episode "Stage Fright."_

Finally finished posting this monster. This is as complete as this fic is ever likely to get, as I completely lost interest in it after this point. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.


End file.
